


Of The Passion of Potter

by Brego_Mellon_Nin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Barebacking, Blow Jobs, Light Bondage, M/M, Rough Sex, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-28
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-11-15 05:08:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/523481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brego_Mellon_Nin/pseuds/Brego_Mellon_Nin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you’d had the guts to ask Severus Snape, before the day of the Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch match, whether he thought Harry Potter would make an interesting lover for anyone, he would’ve laughed in your face. Hard and long.</p><p>After the aforementioned event though... well, that’s an entirely different story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SSDSnape](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSDSnape/gifts).



> Okay, I was on vacation and one night, right before I went to sleep, I had an idea for a smutty one-shot pop into my head. I immediately wrote a few notes, outlining the plot - or lack thereof as it was supposed to be a short PWP. 
> 
> The next day I attacked with fierce determination and before I knew it, the darn thing had taken off on me, insisting to have a little more plot here, and a little more meaning there and voila - a story was born. Gah! Never knew how to reign my imagination in... ;)
> 
>  **Warnings:** This is slash (male/male), if it’s not your thing, please skip this one.  
>  Depending on the age of consent in your country, this story could contain underage sex, as Harry is 16 in this story. Otherwise beware of unprotected gay sex. I do NOT condone sex without protection, but this is fiction and Harry and Severus are wizards. They use spells instead. Just FYI.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I own nothing, neither places nor characters, but I think they’d be a bit less sexually frustrated if I did. LOL! Okay, sorry, I mean no disrespect.
> 
> Thanks so much to my prereader SimplyMatt and my beta Corey Smith. You guys are awesome!

**Prologue**

  
If you’d had the guts to ask Severus Snape, before the day of the Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch match, whether he thought Harry Potter would make an interesting lover for anyone, he would’ve laughed in your face. Hard and long.  
  
He’d have told you that such an innocent, straight-laced, arrogant Gryffindor would probably flop down on the bed and either expect you to do all the work, assuming he could just receive without giving, or he would be so prudish and naive that he’d believe just being two people in the bed was naughty enough for it to be called sex.  
  
After the aforementioned event though... well, that’s an entirely different story.  
__________________________________________________________

**Chapter 1**

  
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose with a weary sigh. If he’d known that this was what he’d spend his evening doing, he would’ve ignored the brawl after this afternoon’s Quidditch match. As it was, he came upon Potter and Malfoy bickering and because he’d felt like it, he’d given Potter detention.  
  
Now, about an hour in, he was all but positive that the brat was purposefully acting like an idiot and making stupid mistakes. The impossible dimwit had sliced the roots Severus had expressly told him to _dice_. Next, he’d mixed the newt’s eyes with the toad eyes. Finally, he’d ruined a perfectly simple, first year level potions base, making a spectacular explosion, covering several pages of Severus’ notes in bile.  
  
Trying to keep his temper somewhat under control. Severus turned on the boy and managed only to snarl an appropriate amount.  
  
“ _What_ , Mister Potter, do you think you are _doing_? Even my most incompetent second years manage this potion without much difficulty!”  
  
The brat looked up at Severus with an altogether much too innocent expression.  
  
“I’m sorry, Professor, I don’t know what happened.”  
  
Severus snorted.  
  
“Well, that much is obvious. How is this ever going to work? This is _your_ detention, but somehow I just end up with more work! Maybe I should simply give you a mop and a bucket and make you wash the floors. Though, knowing you, you’d knock something over or kill yourself and half the school in your efforts.”  
  
Severus sighed wearily. The brat’s eyes started shining mischievously and he looked straight at his professor and blurted out, “You could spank me, sir.”  
  
Naturally, Severus gaped at him. It wasn’t the first time tonight that the brat had said something which felt very much like it was only uttered to be misunderstood in an improper manner. For a split second he feared that Potter had somehow discovered that his detested Potions Master had experienced inappropriate thoughts about him, but it simply wasn’t possible. He’d been very careful with his thoughts around the brat and if he could fool the Dark Lord, he could certainly fool Harry Potter as well!  
  
As a rule, he didn’t find young men appealing, hating the fumbling and insecurity that would inevitably make him feel ancient, but there was something special about Potter. Part of it was the fact that the boy’s life has forced him to mature much faster than his peers, giving him a certain severity that struck a chord in Severus, and part of it was his undoubtedly good looks. Though small of stature, Potter was well developed and Severus had a serious weak spot for those emerald eyes. They were very much like Lily’s, but a few shades lighter and a great deal more intense, Severus found. And, darn it all, very expressive!  
  
Like now. Teasing, but with a daring undercurrent.  
  
Severus lifted an eyebrow in his best did-you-misplace-your-brain-somehow look.  
  
“Mister Potter, I regret to inform you that the Headmaster does not condone corporal punishment.”  
  
Let the brat make of that what he will.  
  
A flash of a cheeky smile was what Severus received.  
  
“Oh, I’m sure you could get around that somehow, _sir_ ,” the brat said, almost purring the ‘sir’.  
  
Once again Severus was gaping unintelligibly. What in Merlin’s saggy knickers was the boy trying to accomplish?  
  
To his horror, Severus felt stirrings of arousal uncoil in his stomach and a fair amount of blood traveled south. It was that husky, purry tone. Damn the brat!  
  
If this was to be a battle of words and imaginative innuendoes, Severus could and _would_ play. He never lost any battle that depended on quick wit and repartee.  
  
“Why, Mister Potter, what would your faithful Gryffindors say if they knew their Golden Boy was begging their greasy old Potions Master for a spanking?”  
  
Severus allowed himself a wicked grin.  
  
Potter merely smiled.  
  
“I wouldn’t know, sir. I hadn’t planned on telling them. Just like I haven’t told them that I don’t find you old or greasy at all, Professor.”  
  
The mischievous smile was back full force.  
  
Severus wasn’t sure he should allow this kind of talk, but he was curious and as long as he could still back out without damaging his reputation, it couldn’t hurt to grill the brat a little harder on this particular issue.  
  
“Careful now, Potter. One could interpret statements like that as you fancying me. What if the whole school suddenly heard that their Chosen One was lusting after the resident Death-Eater, hmm?”  
  
Severus carefully pasted a malicious grin on his face.  
  
Potter kept smiling, but his eyes suddenly held a steely determination that almost made Severus take a physical step back, it was so fierce.  
  
“Pardon me, sir, but I’m thinking they wouldn’t believe you,” the brat said, and took a deliberate step closer to his professor, “Maybe you need to collect some evidence before you start spreading the story.”  
  
Those green eyes locked on Severus’ and kept contact. This was starting to get dangerous and he had to stop this somehow, without disclosing his feelings to the boy. Nothing worked as well as a little Potions Master venom.  
  
“What exactly are you attempting to convey from that addled mind of yours, Potter?”  
  
Severus thought he did well. Sneer in place, venom enough in his voice to make most idiots scurry away in panic. But Potter was still looking at him calmly, intensely.  
  
“Snarling like that will not discourage me, sir. I love your voice,” the boy said, looking at Severus’ lips with a feral gleam in his eyes, “It’s like liquid desire. Using it will only make it worse, I’m afraid.”  
  
Once again, Severus was reduced to gaping. This was, by far, the most direct comment he’d received yet and really, he should put a stop to this now. He’d have taunting material for years!  
  
But... But what if he could get something far better: Potter himself?  
  
Severus knew he had to answer, but for a whole minute his brain totally stopped working. Finally his senses came back to him.  
  
Trying to win some time he asked what he thought was a harmless question.  
  
“What on earth are you blathering about, Potter? What will my voice make worse? Your stunning vocabulary?”  
  
Severus knew it had been a huge lapse of judgment the instant the boy flashed a giant, wicked grin. The brat stepped closer still and grabbed Severus’ hand, pulled it down and placed on the front of his robes over the groin, revealing an insistent and rather impressive bulge. The green eyes were nearly black with desire when Potter looked up at Severus from underneath his thick lashes.  
  
“This, sir.”  
  
Severus’ mind was racing a thousand miles an hour. His fingers twitched involuntarily and he felt the bulge beneath his hand growing further.  
  
 _That_ couldn’t be faked, which meant that on some level Potter _did_ want him; his old Potions Professor! Some part of Severus was fighting to break free; to simply jump the boy and ravish him. But Severus knew how this should proceed; he should tell the boy to stop his inappropriate behavior, deduct at least fifty House Points, and send him on his way. Severus didn’t want to, though. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time someone had actually desired _him_. It was intoxicating beyond belief.  
  
If it had been any student besides Potter, Severus would have felt like a paedophile, but mentally Potter was well beyond his years. The Potions Master had no doubt, however, that should he go down this road and anyone ever found out, all hell would break loose. He’d be lucky to survive such an event.  
  
Severus was a master at resisting temptations, but he’d resisted so much and this was different, in a way he couldn’t explain, but felt very clearly. He didn’t _want_ to resist anymore. Merlin help him, but he wanted the boy!  
  
In the middle of his contemplations, Severus became aware that he had not yet removed his hand from Potter’s groin. He mentally kicked himself. _Way to expose his desires for the brat to see._ He tried to salvage the situation with a touch of sarcasm.  
  
“Quite an impressive problem you have there, Mister Potter. What do you suggest we do about it, hmm?” Severus drawled, trying to appear indifferent.  
  
Apparently he didn’t do a very good job of it though, since Potter stepped closer and put his own hand over Severus’, still cupping his arousal, and pressed harder.  
  
“You could fuck me, sir,”  the boy said, perfectly serious, in a husky, vibrant tone.  
  
Once again, the brat’s stupid honesty had deflated Severus’ hard earned eloquence and he actually gulped as several choice images involving said scenario flashed through his mind. Clearly, he wasn’t going to win this one by appearing to remain ignorant of the boy’s obvious overtures. Maybe a change of strategy was required. Offense _was_ supposed to be the best defense after all.  
  
Making his voice extra low and smooth, Severus asked, “Fuck you?”  
  
The cock under his hand actually jumped at the sound of his voice and Severus felt his own burgeoning erection hardening rapidly. Potter was awfully close and Severus could tell that the boy’s breathing was speeding up. The awareness of a delectable, willing body so close to his own made the desire burn through his veins at a blinding speed and within a couple of heartbeats the Potions Master could feel his pulse beating in his temples. He was so hard at this point that his trousers had become painfully tight.  
  
But no, he couldn’t just give in like this. If he gave in now, he’d have no way to defend himself from hurt. Protecting himself was something he’d learned early on in life and it always involved hiding away any and all feelings. No matter if they were positive or negative they could be used against you. With time, Severus had learned only to show the emotions that could be used to his purposes and only in the right circumstances.  
  
Before he managed to compose a suitable rejection though, the brat stepped forward again, bringing their bodies together and reached up behind Severus’ head with a hand, which proceeded to urge his head down towards Potter’s.  
  
As his eyes were glued to the lush lips that were slowly, but steadily coming closer, Severus knew he should stop this, he should pull back, he should-  
  
Heat exploded in Severus’ stomach as warm, soft lips connected with his. As a last desperate attempt not to fall over the edge completely, he stayed passive. But the boy continued kissing him undauntedly and sucked gently on Severus’ bottom lip. It was amateurish, but instinctive, and the Potions Master found he liked it very much.  
  
When the fingers of the hand at the back of his head threaded through his hair and gripped tight, Severus felt himself slipping. Potter pulled back just enough to whisper, his breath caressing Severus’ cheek, “Just let it go, please!”  
  
The words were saturated with pleading desperation. It hit something in Severus and he felt some hidden, restrained part of himself snap free. For some reason he’d never understand, Severus didn’t just step out over the ledge, he jumped head first.  
  
With a deep moan he brought his hands up and thrust them into the unruly hair, which turned out to be surprisingly soft. Severus crushed their mouths together, sucking and licking at Potter’s lips until the boy opened up to him. They both searched each other’s mouths eagerly and an intense, magnificent passion built between them. It was almost electrical in nature. Severus would have sworn he felt the air around them crackle with energy.  
  
Hands were roaming everywhere and Severus was actually surprised at the boy’s confidence. Not that he seemed particularly experienced, he was apparently just very, very motivated.  
  
Determined fingers had started on the long row of buttons on Severus’ robes and the Potions Master took the cue and divested Potter of his school robes. Underneath he wore the usual oversized, worn clothes, which almost hid his body completely. Severus might have thought the boy was trying to hide a flabby, out of shape, body if he hadn’t seen him in the form fitting quidditch uniform.  
  
Potter had reached the last button and practically ripped Severus’ outer robes off him. When it fell, he stood there in his black trousers and dark green button-down and he felt sort of vulnerable. Like he was being evaluated in a way. Of course that could have something to do with the way Potter was staring at him. It made him uneasy and he had problems figuring out if the brat’s stare was a good one or not.  
  
Severus got his answer about two seconds later, when Potter pulled his own shirt over his head, revealing a lean, toned chest, and launched himself at his Potions Master.  
  
Severus caught him and the instant their skin and lips connected a jolt of energy shot through them. Potter moaned loudly and gripped the front of Severus’ shirt, pulling it apart, sending buttons flying in all directions.  
  
Being shirtless was a sore spot for Severus. He had always been very slim, bordering on thin, pale and absolutely smooth. The lack of chest hair made all of his scars stand out more and the sheer number and nature of them had turned more than one potential lover off him.  
  
Potter looked overwhelmed for a second and then the fierce passion was back in full force. The brat brought his fingers up to trace a particularly nasty scar, running from below his right collarbone across his stomach to his left hip. He’d gotten that one back in his early Death-Eater days when he’d been too slow with a piece of information. The Dark Lord had not been pleased and had, after a few rounds of _cruciatus_ , allowed Bellatrix to ‘have her fun’ with him. Bellatrix’s idea of fun apparently involved a dull, rusty knife and a lot of insane cackling.  
  
Severus was brought out of his musings when the boy latched onto a nipple. He gasped in surprise. Nobody had ever been able to see past his horrific collection of scars that easily. Potter acted like it was nothing more than a funny freckle he’d seen.  
  
Severus shivered from the sensations when the boy’s tongue swirled around his nipple. Renewed desire shot through Severus and he grabbed the boy by the arse and pulled him close with a needy moan.  
  
With Potter being smaller, Severus had pulled him slightly up from the floor and the boy started licking and nibbling his neck now that his previous target was out of reach. Hands were groping Severus’ arse through his trousers and suddenly there were far too many clothes between them. With a growl, Severus set the boy down and brought a hand to the front of Potter’s much too baggy jeans and popped the few buttons that held them closed. The fabric slid to the floor without needing assistance and the boy was naked before his Potions Master.  
  
Severus fought not to gawk - too much.  
  
“No pants?” he croaked.  
  
“Nah, slows things down,” the infuriating brat quipped when a wicked grin.  
  
Potter’s cock was mouthwatering. It wasn’t overly large, but it would be an average size, even for a full grown man, and Potter was a rather small sixteen year old. Severus knew he was somewhat bigger though. Perhaps _that_ was more likely to scare the boy off than his scars.  
  
He didn’t get much time to fret though, because Potter attacked the zipper of Severus’ trousers and had them undone in record time.  
  
To his credit the boy pulled down carefully on the belt loops. If he had simply tried to yank them off as fast as possible, it could have put a stopper to the good mood quickly. Severus’ erection was much too big to fit comfortably in his trousers and a hasty removal of said trousers would probably have hurt a great deal.  
  
Severus stepped out of his pants too and finally stood totally naked in front of Potter.  
  
Who was gaping unashamedly.  
  
Severus felt his cock give a hopeful twitch under the intense scrutiny, but the Potions Master’s eyes were riveted on the boy in front of him. Potter’s gaze had darkened considerably at the sight of Severus’ erection and the boy looked like he might be torn between drooling and telling Severus, ‘No, thanks, that monster isn’t getting anywhere near my arse!’  
  
But, like a true Gryffindor, he rallied and stepped forwards, getting close to Severus again. The boy reached out and took hold of the impressive, eager cock pointing at him. Severus was prepared for inexperienced fumbling or reckless pumping, but certainly not for the slightly loose, yet steady stroke he received. An embarrassing keening cry escaped him and he braced his arms back on his desk. The brat crowded him and licked a wet stripe across his chest, all the while keeping up a slow, steady rhythm with his hand.  
  
Severus panted, “Who taught you how to do that?”  
  
Potter looked up from his new endeavor of alternating between licking and biting along Severus’ collarbones to answer.  
  
“Nobody, it’s how I like it actually.”  
  
Somewhere in his mind a voice insisted that such a statement warranted further inquiry, but at that moment Severus’ concentration was seriously debilitated and he merely grunted and bowed his head to catch Potter’s lips with his own in another all-consuming kiss.  
  
He pulled the boy close by grabbing his firm buttocks, prompting him to let go of Severus’ erection to wrap his arms around Severus’ neck and as their erections were pressed together they both moaned.  
  
Potter jumped up and wrapped his legs around Severus’ waist, proceeding to roll his hips, providing delicious friction. Severus felt a tongue run along the shell of his ear and gentle bite on his earlobe before a husky voice breathed into his ear.  
  
“ _Fuck!_ I’ve wanted this for _so_ long! Please, sir.”  
  
Severus felt like teasing.  
  
“You’ve wanted what, exactly, Mr. Potter?” he drawled, perhaps a bit breathlessly.  
  
“You, inside me, sir,” the brat answered, before reaching down and giving his Potions Master’s throbbing cock a squeeze, “ _This_ , inside me.”  
  
Severus growled and hefted the boy up, before freeing one hand. Then he ran his fingers down the cleft of the boy’s arse. When he reached the puckered entrance, he circled a finger slowly. The reaction he got was startling. Potter cried out and threw his head back while pushing his arse back into Severus’ hand. Severus was so worked up himself that he had trouble keeping his head. He literally had to force himself to go slow. The boy was only sixteen after all, he couldn’t have that much experience.  
  
Potter wiggled in his arms, rutting against Severus, seeking friction.  
  
“Oh fuck! Fuck! Please, sir,” the brat whimpered before going on in a decidedly filthy tone, “Fuck me, sir. Oh Merlin, fuck me hard! Now!”  
  
It seemed that Severus’ voice was not the only one to affect it’s recipient. At the sound of the brat’s voice talking like that, saying those things, Severus was so close to his release that he had to close his eyes for a second to block out the very sexy image of a debauched, naked Harry Potter, clinging to him with an expression like Severus was the tastiest looking dessert he’s ever seen.  
  
The Potions Master turned them around and set Potter down on the desk. The boy scooted back, lay down on his back and braced his feet on the edge of the desk, thus spreading his legs for Severus.  
  
Severus thought it was quite possibly the most erotic sight he’d ever seen. The brat really was utterly gorgeous and spread out like this with that hungry look on his face, he was positively edible!  
  
Green, hooded eyes looked up at Severus as the brat ran a hand slowly, seductively over his abs, down, down, into the patch of black hair that surrounded his straining cock. A drop of precum was clinging to the tip.  
  
Severus stopped Potter’s hand, bent over the boy’s groin and blew lightly on the throbbing erection. Potter keened and arched slightly at the same time his cock jumped. Severus threw a crooked smile at Potter before he opened his mouth and licked a slow track up the underside of the brat’s lovely cock. In answer he got a mewling cry and a whimpered, “Fuck!”  
  
As he took all of Potter’s erection in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head once, before pressing it against the sensitive skin all the way down, he did a quick, wordless lubrication spell on his right hand and brought a finger up to play at the boy’s entrance.  
  
Immediately Potter arched up, trying to push back on his finger, whimpering, while he grabbed a fistful of Severus’ hair.  
  
“Yes,” the brat hissed, totally lost in the sensations.  
  
Severus pulled up so only the head of Potter’s cock remained in his mouth. Sucking hard, he pressed his tongue to the underside while he pushed a finger inside. This produced a yelp from the boy, half way between pain and pleasure. Apparently Potter liked a little pain with his pleasure. At least it seemed that way because Severus had hardly gotten his finger in to the first knuckle before the boy pushed back eagerly and hissed, “More, sir!”  
  
The Potions Master thought it might be too much too soon, but he complied; perhaps the brat would slow down if he encountered a case of biting off more than he’d be able to chew.  
  
Swirling his tongue, Severus gave one steady push until his finger was in as far as it would go. Potter’s back arched off the desk and the Potions Master actually did think it had been too much, until the boy’s cock erupted and flooded his mouth, with Potter screaming all the way. It took a few seconds for Severus’ brain to catch up to his ears. When it did, he replayed it in his head. The brat had screamed: “Ah! Fuck, _Severus!”_  
  
Severus stared at the boy, forgetting to swallow, resulting in a dribble of come running down his chin. Potter quickly reached up and caught it with a finger, bringing it down and licking it off of himself. Severus felt a wave of arousal at the sight and he promptly swallowed and bent over to kiss the boy. He hated the prudish guys who refused to kiss after engaging in oral sex. Not that he feared Potter to be among those after that display, but he approached cautiously nonetheless.  
  
He needn’t have taken any precautions. Potter reached up and pulled him down into a slobby, needy kiss, sucking at Severus’ bottom lip, like it was all he needed to survive.  
  
Still very much aroused, Severus frotted against the boy and Potter instantly uttered another newling cry and pulled his legs up higher. When Severus hesitated momentarily, the brat wrapped his legs around his waist and pulled him down while grinding his own hips up. A keening cry burst from Severus’ mouth and he quickly brought his still lubricated hand up and was about to enter two fingers when Potter’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm.  
  
“No, sir. I want to feel it. I want to still be able to feel you inside me tomorrow! _Please!”_  
  
Severus looked incredulously at the boy’s earnest face.  
  
“Potter, inadequate preparation will very likely be quite painful. Contrary to popular belief, I do not actively seek to maim you.”  
  
The brat merely looked at Severus with a stubborn set jaw.  
  
“Please, sir,” was all he said.  
  
Severus had a feeling this could very well end in disaster, but Potter was begging and, oh Merlin, how he needed release!  
  
With a grunt, Severus spread the lube on his neglected cock instead and it jerked violently. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and lined his erection up at the boy’s arse. When the head of his cock touched against the puckered entrance, Potter moaned loudly and pulled his legs up further.  
  
“Come on, sir. Fuck me! _Pound_ me, I know you want to!” the brat panted and licked his lips.  
  
Severus closed his eyes and pushed his hips forward. The head of his erection nudged against the tight muscle, which did not yield. He pushed harder and the brat hissed when his Potions Master’s cock stretched his entrance. Severus felt a little of the resistance give and he jabbed his hips forward again. This time the brat whimpered, but he did not protest or otherwise try to convey any wish to make Snape stop.  
  
The head of his cock barely inside the boy’s arse, Severus stopped and took several deep breaths. This was not going to work unless the brat relaxed.  
  
“Relax, Potter, you are too tense!” he snapped.  
  
Potter sucked in a harsh breath and let his head fall back, thudding onto the surface of the desk. He made a visible effort to calm his cramping muscles and a heartbeat later, Severus felt the constriction around his erection ease a little. He experimentally pushed in a bit more, and found that his cock slid in further and further, until he was fully sheathed. Merlin, the boy was _tight!_  
  
Severus opened his eyes to look at the boy. The brat’s eyes were clamped shut and his features strained in a pained expression, his jaw clenched.  
  
“Did I hurt you?” he managed to force out through gritted teeth, trembling with the effort of holding still.  
  
Potter’s eyelids fluttered and the green gaze focused on Severus. He shook his head with a bemused smile.  
  
“I told you I wanted to _feel_ it, sir. It’s exactly what I want,” he panted, “ _Fuck_ you’re big though, if you don’t mind me saying, sir.”  
  
Severus was astonished that he managed a snort.  
  
“I do not believe you will find many men, who would object to having that statement uttered in their presence, Potter.”  
  
The boy flashed another of those bone-melting, cheeky smiles.  
  
“How about this one then, sir: ‘I’d appreciate it ever so much, if you’d pound me into this desk now’?”  
  
With that salute, Potter squeezed his internal muscles around Severus’ cock, prompting the Potions Master to growl and pull back his hips, before pushing back in in one long stroke with a reverberating moan. The boy really was incredibly tight.  
  
Potter hissed softly the first couple of times Severus pushed back in, but he still only put up with the slow thrusts for about a minute before he pulled Severus down for a kiss, wet lips and tongue sliding from the Potions Master’s mouth across his cheek until teeth nipped at his ear. The husky whisper tickled the small hairs on his neck, “Is that what you call a pounding, sir?”  
  
Severus turned and sank his teeth into a surprisingly fleshy shoulder, mumbling a “Impertinent bastard!” and started increasing the force of his thrusts. Potter rolled his hips to meet every one of Severus’ movements and within an additional minute, the boy whined and dug his fingernails into Severus’ shoulder.  
  
“Holy _fuck!_ What’s... Oh my _god!_ There, sir, _right there!”_  
  
Severus took that to mean that he’d found the boy’s sweet spot and aimed to hit it on every inwards stroke. He succeeded fairly well if Potter’s cries and rhythmic hand clenching was anything to go by. Severus felt a poke in his stomach and looked down to see that the boy’s cock was hard and weeping once again. The brat’s hands stayed where they were though, and didn’t reach for it.  
  
What he did do, had Severus paralyzed for a moment. Potter was demanding, “More, sir! Harder, oh _Merlin_ , please, _harder!”_  
  
Severus thought he was thrusting quite forcefully already, but he tried going deeper on every inward push, raking hard over the boy’s prostate, in order to satisfy the brat.  
  
Evidently that wasn’t enough though. Potter whimpered and started chanting, desperately grabbing at Severus’ back. At first, Severus didn’t catch the words, but as the volume increased, it became clear.  
  
“Fuck me! Fuck me, fuckmefuckmefuckme, _fuck me!”_  
  
A white-hot surge of arousal whipped through Severus. He had never in his life encountered a lover that would keep begging for more, when he was already going at this pace. He knew that if he let go of the last of his restraint, he would be merciless. So far it seemed like that was what the brat wanted, but a voice of caution was still grumbling furiously in the back of his mind.  
  
Severus looked into the green eyes and saw only want and longing, desperate longing and no trace of any apprehension at all. He reached up over Potter’s head and grabbed the edge of the desk for leverage and drew his hips back.  
  
“Fine then, Potter, I’ll give you all I’ve got, but I’d better not get any complaints later.”  
  
With that, Severus threw all his power into his thrusts, pounding the boy so hard that the desk screeched across the floor with every push and the wood creaked in protest. Potter’s face was a picture of bliss mixed with a bit of tension, his mouth open in a silent cry, his breath whooshing in and out of his lungs in time with the jerks of his body. He was clawing Severus’ back, trying to get him closer still.  
  
“Yes! Yes, yes, oh _god_ , yes!”  
  
Seeing and hearing clear evidence that Potter was enjoying himself immensely, Severus let go of his last inhibitions and lost himself in the sensations, gave himself over to his desires, letting his instincts guide him.  
  
He moaned and growled while pounding into the boy furiously, ferociously and within a few short minutes, he had to haul Potter back towards him, since the force of his thrusts has pushed the brat too far in on the desk. His pistoning hips barely faltered.  
  
The boy’s mewling and whimpering had increased in volume and frequency and Severus bent his head to nuzzle the brat’s temple. Potter kissed him softly and licked down to Severus’ neck, where he sucked at a spot behind his ear, which sent tingling all the way down to his toes, before abruptly biting down in the crook of Severus’ neck. A muffled scream was all the warning Severus received before Potter’s cock exploded between them, covering both their bellies in come.  
  
When he was spent, Potter released his mouthful, soothed the bite with a few licks and flopped back on the desk, looking so decidedly well fucked and utterly gorgeous that Severus tumbled helplessly over the edge, coming with a hoarse shout, his body convulsing, spurting his seed into the boy’s body.  
  
Severus felt totally boneless and collapsed on top of Potter, who simply raised his arms and wrapped them around his Potions Master. For a second he feared the boy might be a snuggly, romantic type, but the brat simply breathed in and out, tracing lazy circles on Severus’ back. The pleasant lassitude that usually accompanied his afterglow, had Severus close his eyes and sigh deeply. He let go of his worries for a second and simply _was_.  
  
When Severus came to, he was still lying draped over Potter on the desk, with the brat’s arms around him. Not knowing what to think or how to react, he cleared his throat and started to get up. Potter’s arms released him, but the boy still whimpered softly when Severus slipped free of him.  
  
Severus looked down his front surveying the mess of cooled semen smeared over his skin and averted his eyes to the boy’s similarly decorated belly. Fearing a very awkward moment, he did a quick cleaning spell on both of them and went in search of his clothes. The boy sat up and simply observed Severus scurrying about. It did not behoove the Potions Master to appear flustered so he snapped at Potter.  
  
“Do put some clothes on, Potter. It may not have occurred to you, but I will be skinned alive if anyone saw us in this state. Your adoring fans would weep themselves dry in grief for their poor, defiled Savior.”  
  
Potter stretched out a hand and mumbled an _accio_ , which had his clothes zooming to him like he was the center of gravity. Severus’ eyes widened with shock for a second before he could reign it in. When had the boy mastered a wandless summoning charm?  
  
“Sorry, sir,” the brat said, softly.  
  
Severus did a double take. He’d expected some flippancy after his snappish Savior-comment, but none was forthcoming. He quickly looked at the brat. No, no tears or chin-trembling either, which reassured Severus that Potter wasn’t about to exhibit teenaged schoolgirl dramatics. He had thought Potter would be a hopeless romantic actually, what with Albus filling his ears with all that love-is-power crap, but of course; it would be very difficult for anyone to imagine any rosy, happy moments involving the snarky, greasy old Potions Master. And that was exactly how he wanted it!  
  
Shortly after, they were both decent again and Severus had put on his fiercest scowl to prevent any sappy endeavors from the brat, which he was sure was bound to occur. Once again, he was surprised, though.  
  
Potter walked briskly to the door and as he put his hand on the doorknob, he turned around and threw Severus that cheeky smile and exited with a softly voiced, “Thank you, sir.”  
  
Severus stared, baffled, at the closed door for close to ten minutes. Sex with Harry Potter certainly wasn’t what he would’ve guessed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following their second rendezvous, Severus was afraid to examine his reasons for having had sex with Harry bloody Potter, not once but twice, and he tried to ignore the turmoil inside of him.
> 
> Until Potter showed up Saturday evening wearing that infernal cloak, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my fabulous prereader SimplyMatt and my brilliant beta Corey Smith - you guys are the best *bows in dust*
> 
>  **Warnings:** This is slash (male/male), if it’s not your thing, please skip this one.  
>  Depending on the age of consent in your country, this story could contain underage sex, as Harry is 16 in this story. Otherwise beware of unprotected gay sex. I do NOT condone sex without protection, but this is fiction and Harry and Severus are wizards. They use spells instead. Just FYI.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I own nothing, neither places nor characters, but I think they’d be a bit less sexually frustrated if I did. LOL! Okay, sorry, I mean no disrespect.

**Chapter 2**

  
The next morning Severus still felt a little tingly, but he tried hard to ignore it and went through his morning routine like always. Only when he saw the purple bite mark on his neck did he veer from his normal schedule. A light healing charm took care of most of it and the rest would easily be hidden by his high collared teaching robes.  
  
When he made it to his seat at the High Table in the Great Hall without being accosted by livid colleagues or an equally livid Headmaster, he figured that Potter hadn’t run to tell anyone about the evil, nasty Potions Master. It both unnerved and comforted him. Not that he wanted to pursue anything with the boy - really the mere thought was ridiculous - but the experience had been quite... well, alright, _very_ satisfying and Potter regretting it would have somehow cheapened it.  
  
It was about half an hour later that Potter arrived, flanked by Granger and Weasley as was almost always the case. They made their way to the Gryffindor table, making smalltalk all the way. Since neither of his two followers sent Severus murderous glares, he guessed that Potter had not told his friends exactly what had happened in detention the previous evening.  
  
Because he was looking for it, Severus saw the wince when Potter sat down beside Granger. He quickly hid it though and reached for some toast with an almost happy expression. He wiggled a little in his seat, controlling another wince, his expression turning slightly smug.  
  
Severus shook his head and returned to his tea. Potter was definitely more intriguing than he’d previously believed.  
___________________________________________________________  
  
In the days that followed, Potter acted like he’d always done whenever Severus was around. No blushing, no weird looks and, thankfully, none of those cheeky smiles.   
  
In the evenings, Severus found himself thinking of Potter more and more and it irked him greatly.   
  
Okay, so the boy had a very nice arse and he was a decent shag, perhaps even a good one, but besides that, he was just a spoiled, famous brat!  
  
It didn’t matter though, no matter how much he tried to convince himself that there was nothing more to the boy than that, whenever he closed his eyes, a picture of a writhing, sweating, panting Potter lying splayed out on the desk was plastered on his retinas.   
  
During the night, he dreamt of that pleading, husky voice whispering filthy things into his ear.  
___________________________________________________________  
  
The first time they came into close contact with each other again since Sunday night was in Thursday morning’s double Potions lesson. Severus had decided beforehand to act like nothing had happened and he did fairly well while the students filed in, took their seats and prepared to endure their Potions Master’s snarky company. He also made it through an introduction of that day’s potion and a quick run-through of a few tricky bits in the instructions.  
  
All his good intentions went out the window the moment he got close to Potter on one of his patrols around the classroom. He was supposed to say something vicious, he knew that, but the instant he’d gotten close to the boy’s workstation, a weird humming sparked in the air between them, and a slight tickling sensation went up his spine.   
  
Potter showed no reaction whatsoever, but Severus clearly felt the boy’s magic swirling, reaching out towards him. Severus looked around surreptitiously and to his relief he saw that none of the little dunderheads seemed to have noticed. It must only be Potter and himself that could feel and hear it then.  
  
Still lacking a substantial part of his sharp wit, Severus contented himself with wrinkling his nose disdainfully at Potter’s cauldron. The boy still didn’t react at all besides a light scowl, which didn’t feel genuine at all. As Severus moved on, he felt a tendril of the boy’s magic trying to stay with him and the Potions Master was almost past Granger when it slipped and fell away.  
  
The clever girl lifted her head and looked around, her brows furrowed. More sensitive than he’d given her credit for, then.  
  
The rest of the lesson went by like always, except whenever Severus couldn’t avoid getting close to Potter, immediately that humming would start up again.   
  
Trying to appear like his usual self, Severus made sure to scorn and belittle Potter from a distance, and even though his insults might avoid accusing the boy of lacking brain cells, he thought he managed to seem as acerbic as ever. The only difference was that even though the brat glared at him when he was showered in hurtful remarks and jibes, there was a well hidden spark of something, almost akin to amusement, in his eyes. Severus wasn’t sure what to think about that.  
  
After what seemed like double the usual time, the lesson ended and the students scrambled to pack up and get out. Severus breathed a sigh of relief and started looking over some essays he needed to grade for next day’s classes.  
  
He’d only just dipped his quill in the red ink when he felt the humming start up again. His head snapped up, and right in front of his desk stood Harry Potter with an unreadable expression.  
  
For a second Severus feared that maybe he’d come to complain about the treatment he’d received, or perhaps even try to blackmail Severus. But no, for all his flaws, Potter had certainly never been neither cruel or manipulative. Severus decided to play it cool. Difficult as it was with the brat so close by, he thought he did quite well.  
  
“Is there something you want, Mister Potter?”  
  
Potter leaned slightly in before answering in _that_ tone. The one that Severus was certain would be the death of him. The one that featured in his dreams every night.  
  
“Your huge, thick cock up my arse, _sir.”_  
  
Severus’ heart stopped for two full seconds before picking up double speed.  
  
The boy wanted more!  
  
Severus’ body responded promptly and in a very predictable manner. Throwing a quick glance around, Severus observed that the classroom was empty but for him and Potter. The emotions he’d battled for the length of the entire lesson boiled over and he leaped out of his chair and collided with Potter half way around the desk.  
  
Hands instantly started undoing buttons and while piece after piece of clothing were removed, Severus maneuvered them towards the door at the back of the room. When Potter paused on Severus’ shirt buttons, he quickly _accioed_ all their already fallen garments and hauled the boy through the door into his private chambers.   
  
Potter was so preoccupied that he didn’t even falter. He pulled Severus down for a kiss while he worked the shirt off Severus’ shoulders. At this point they were both desperately hard and equally impatient. There was a raw, animalistic, passionate aggression about their movements and when Potter simply banished Severus’ trousers and shoved his underwear down to free the Potions Master’s weeping erection and then proceeded to bend over the nearest armchair, jeans around his ankles, Severus surrendered helplessly to his desire.  
  
With a feral growl, he grabbed a handful of Potter’s hair in a firm grip and pressed his erection into the boy’s arsecrack. He rolled his hips a couple of times, gaining some much needed friction. The boy whimpered and pushed back, spreading his legs eagerly.  
  
Severus bent low and hissed into the boy’s ear.  
  
“You want it so bad, don’t you? You want me to fuck you senseless! Make you howl and scream and come all over. Such a little cock slut aren’t you, _Mister_ Potter?”   
  
The boy elicited a whiny moan and pushed his delicious arse back harder, gripping the armrests, bracing himself for the pounding he was so desperate for.  
  
“Yes, sir,” he whimpered.  
  
Severus conjured some lube and smeared a generous amount into the cleft of the boy’s arse, drawing a whine from Potter’s luscious lips. He bent to nibble at the brat’s neck while resuming his frotting against the boy’s arse. He nuzzled forwards and bit an earlobe before proceeding to lick inside Potter’s ear slowly, sensually. He flicked his tongue and felt Potter jerk underneath him, moaning involuntarily.  
  
Severus silently rejoiced at discovering a weak spot. He loved knowing about those particular areas that could send his lover into ecstasy with barely a touch or lick.  
  
The Potions Master drew out his tongue and softly asked the boy, “How many fingers this time?”  
  
Potter squirmed and hesitated. Severus thought that he might have had his fill of rough sex, but was unwilling to take his earlier statements back  
  
“Don’t worry Potter, I have no issues about being gentle. I’d say at least two if you want to avoid-”  
  
He didn’t get any further before Potter blurted out, “None, sir!”  
  
At Severus’ incredulous look, he clarified, “I want it that way, sir. It was amazing last time... I... Please?”  
  
Green eyes bored into Severus’, eager and worried all at once. Well now, the boy was actually concerned about asking something he didn’t think Severus would approve of. It was not what Severus had expected, but he _was_ the sort who preferred sex to be a bit on the rough side, so he wouldn’t complain.  
  
Conjuring an ample amount of lube, he slathered his cock and positioned himself. Before he could thrust forward, the boy pushed back and the head of his cock slipped through the tight entrance. Severus keened and nearly lost his balance. Potter was _so_ bloody tight and so impatient! If this evolutioncontinued, he’d soon be the most aggressive lover Severus had ever had.  
  
Severus leaned forward, grabbing hold of Potter’s hips to prevent the brat taking control of the pace. The boy whimpered and Severus chuckled as he turned his head back, looking disgruntled at his Potions Master over his shoulder.  
  
“Impatient are we, Mister Potter? You need to learn to enjoy a slow build-up,” Severus followed his sentence with an agonizingly slow inwards push. It was only thanks to his better than average self control that Severus kept such a slow speed all the way. He gave a strained groan when his hips pressed against the boy’s arse and he panted a few breaths before continuing with, “But not this time.” Then, he pulled back and slammed back in.  
  
Potter cried out, and his slightly frustrated expression gave way to a triumphant one. He bit his lip, almost making Severus lose focus. The Potions Master growled and bit down in the crook of the boy’s neck. Potter moaned and pushed back, helping him thrust deeper.   
  
“Ah!” Potter cried out and rolled his hips.   
  
Severus smirked.  
  
“Found it, huh?”  
  
Potter merely nodded vehemently.  
  
Severus set a punishing speed, aiming for that same spot again and before long, Potter was moaning and keening with every thrust.  
  
“Oh, _fuck,_ sir, you’re... Oh Merlin! Please, please, please...”  
  
Potter seemed slightly incoherent at that point, so Severus had to guess, but he thought that it was probably the boy’s cock which was demanding attention. He reached around and grabbed the throbbing erection. It was dripping precome, which Severus spread over the head with a finger before taking a hold and giving a firm tug. As a result, Potter nearly screamed and forgot to push back for a few moments. It only took a few short minutes before the boy’s cock exploded, covering the back of Severus’ chair in pearly white.  
  
When the boy’s body convulsed and clenched around Severus it almost became too much, and he barely got in a couple more forceful thrusts before his world compressed and turned upside down. His body jerked before seizing up and his cock emptied itself deep inside Potter.  
  
Severus sagged down on Potter, who slid slowly down on the rug that covered the floor. He thought that maybe he ought to kick the brat out right about now, to avoid any misunderstandings about his motivations. He didn’t want the boy to think he wanted to cuddle or anything similarly idiotic. But he was so sated and relaxed that he couldn’t be arsed to do anything about it.  
  
Loathe though he was to admit it, Potter was the most compatible lover he’d had to date. it sounded awfully cliché, but Severus had to confess there was some truth to the statement; they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. At least in bed.  
  
It was a short - too short - while later that Severus realized they would be missed at lunch and he quickly roused Potter, sending him on his way with a note that explained that he’d been ordered to clean up after dropping a jar of salamander tails. Severus pretended to have been busy with a potion and called for a house elf to make a few quick sandwiches.  
  
Amazingly, no one ever suspected anything, at least not enough to voice it. Not even when Potter showed up for dinner that night with a rather impressive bite mark on his neck, for which he received some good natured teasing. Even though it was an unnecessary risk, Severus was secretly pleased that the boy hadn’t simply healed it, but preferred to keep a reminder of their encounter.  
___________________________________________________________

  
Following their second rendezvous, Severus was afraid to examine his reasons for having had sex with Harry bloody Potter, not once but twice, and he tried to ignore the turmoil inside of him.  
  
Until Potter showed up Saturday evening wearing that infernal cloak, that is.  
  
Severus grabbed the boy and pulled him inside, slamming the door and all but attacked. They’d kissed very passionately for several minutes before their self restraint went the same way as all their clothes - ripped off and thrown over a shoulder to spend the rest of the evening lying there, ignored.  
  
Later, when they lay in a tangle of limbs, sweaty and sated, Severus spent a few moments wondering about their unique chemistry. It seemed like whenever they were near each other their magic would swirl and they were both overcome with lust and an almost tangible need to touch and taste each other.  
  
It was almost like they’d been the victims of a strange desire inducing spell, but Severus had checked and double checked; neither of them were affected by anything. So he was left to conclude that they had a sort of primal, wild attraction that inevitably brought them together, like two parts of a whole, driven to collide.  
  
Potter didn’t mention anything of a more serious nature, so neither did Severus. The boy just stayed curled around Severus’ side all night and left early Sunday morning to sneak back up to Gryffindor Tower before anyone else woke up.  
___________________________________________________________  
  
In the month following that eventful Saturday, a pattern started to develop. Or perhaps it wasn’t so much a pattern as a case of Potter appearing as often as he could, to knock on Severus’ door, hidden beneath his invisibility cloak.  
  
They seldom managed a proper greeting as the strong, almost magnetic attraction between them made desire boil the instant they were close. They had increasingly rough sex in every possible place - and a couple that ought to have been impossible - in Severus’ chambers.   
  
They demolished an old antique chair beyond repair, and the Potions Master had a hard time explaining it to the giver of the previously beautiful piece of furniture; Albus Dumbledore. He managed without mentioning the exact activity that killed the poor chair though.  
  
Even though their chemistry never dimmed, at length they started to talk after sex. Severus learned that Potter was by no means unintelligent, he simply wasn’t as eloquent as Severus. The boy had strong opinions about many things, and Severus was surprised to find that he enjoyed conversing with him.  
  
Their evenings of wild sex smoothly evolved into nights of wild sex _and_ pleasant afterglow conversations. After which they usually fell asleep huddled together, either on the couch or the rug on the floor.  
  
One morning, Severus woke up with an arm slung across Potter’s stomach, spooned against the boy’s back and since it felt very nice, he maneuvered in again next time they were lying close together, well satisfied, though Severus fervently denied recognizing that he’d ever _cuddle._  
___________________________________________________________  
  
It was sometime in the second month of their non-relationship that Potter became Harry and Snape became Severus. It happened during a very heated mutual handjob in a hidden alcove along the third floor corridor late one evening. Neither commented on it afterwards, but they kept using each other’s first names in private after that.  
  
During this time, Severus noticed that his snipes and snarks had lost their potency with Harry. No matter how sarcastic he got, the brat simply smiled at him or outright laughed. It was rare that people saw behind the surface of anything Severus said to uncover if there was a meaning underneath. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment Harry did, but gradually he stopped tensing when Severus’ snarky side poked its head out.   
  
It wasn’t long before the boy told the Potions Master that he ought to let his wicked humour show more. That only made Severus snort. He preferred to scare the dimwits, it made them easier to handle.  
  
There were also things that neither of them noticed. How Harry started occasionally raising his eyebrow in a very Snape-like manner. How Severus’s face lost some of the frown lines that had invaded his features far too soon. How they’d both look longingly at the other several times during meals. But still, they managed to avoid having any relationship related discussions.  
  
Severus had once asked Harry how he managed to get away from his friends so often without causing suspicion. Harry smirked and told him it was easily done, since Granger and Weasley had started dating, sort of, and were easy to distract. Furthermore, a lot of their time together was at night, so Harry simply snuck out in his cloak when the others were asleep.  
  
Severus was quite pleased with how things were progressing. It was comfortable, involved great sex, quite often at that - one of the perks of having a young lover - and it was uncomplicated. While neither of them went elsewhere, they had never agreed to exclusivity.  
  
Sometimes Severus thought it was going too smoothly. His experience was that things worth having usually required some sacrifice.  
  
Unfortunately...he was right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s wrong?” Severus asked.
> 
> Harry turned a defeated look upon Severus and gave a mirthless laugh.
> 
> “Nothing, except that Dumbledore just informed me of the prophecy that made Voldemort kill my parents.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry for the delay folks. I had a nice plan that included updating weekly but well, my brain sort of went on vacation without telling me and then I got sick. Yay... But here I am with chapter 3. Enjoy :)
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I own neither places nor characters, but I do so enjoy manipulating them! *muahaha*
> 
> Thanks and hugs to my prereader SimplyMatt and my beta Corey Smith! What would I do without you guys?

 

Chapter 3

  
Severus looked up from the papers he was grading when a sharp knock sounded at his door. Not many students ever braved disturbing the Potions Master in his private chambers, so Severus had a good idea who it might be. It was a very unusual time for Harry to knock on his door, but they took advantage of every opportunity they got, so he made his way to the door to let the boy in.  
  
When he opened the door it revealed Harry, but certainly not in the mood Severus had hoped for. The boy looked utterly dejected and there was a frantic gleam in his eyes. Severus stepped back to allow Harry in and then hurried to lead the brat to the couch.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Severus asked.  
  
Harry turned a defeated look upon Severus and gave a mirthless laugh.  
  
“Nothing, except that Dumbledore just informed me of the prophecy that made Voldemort kill my parents.”  
  
Severus’ insides turned to ice.  
  
“I see,” he forced out. He’d hoped it would never become necessary to relay this particular information to Harry, but of course Dumbledore would have deemed it vital for the boy to know. The old man always had a scheme he was working on.  
  
“Judging by your response, I guess you knew about it already,” Harry stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Severus merely nodded. He’d been waiting for the inevitable tantrum, but it seemed that the Headmaster had failed to mention who it was, exactly, that had delivered the prophecy to the Dark Lord. He didn’t want Harry to know, but he was also strangely reluctant to keep it from the boy. Not telling him, especially at a time like this, seemed as bad as outright lying.  
  
So, well aware that he could be ending their whatever-it-was, Severus cleared his throat and took a deep breath.  
  
“Yes, Harry, I knew. Because it was I who relayed the prophecy to the Dark Lord. It was a long time ago and I hadn’t yet realized his true nature. I was young and eager to fit in, so I ran to him with what I’d learned, not knowing who it concerned. It is still the decision I regret most in my life, after joining the Dark Lord in the first place, naturally. I am deeply sorry for what I caused him to do to your family.”  
  
At this point Severus stopped and closed his eyes, trying to prepare for the explosion.  
  
It never came.  
  
When enough time had passed for Severus to become truly uncomfortable, he opened his eyes and looked at the boy seated next to him.  
  
Harry was looking at Severus with a sympathetic, slightly tired expression.  
  
“It was never your fault, Severus. You merely passed on a message. The decision to kill me was _his!_ The decision to kill my parents when they got in his way was _his!_ He is a heartless bastard without the ability to love or feel empathy. You might be snarky, aloof, and even a little cruel, on occasion, but you are _not_ like him!”  
  
The green eyes were flashing and bored straight into Severus’ black ones.  
  
Severus was reeling.  
  
“How can you be so calm? It was because of me that he went after you! If I hadn’t-”  
  
“Stop it!” Harry snapped. “If you hadn’t told him, he wouldn’t have come for me and he wouldn’t have marked me or killed my parents, but because he did you switched sides and early enough to become an extremely useful spy. We can second guess ourselves for all eternity. However it came to happen, it has led us to where we are now; together! And I am glad. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is one of the best things that’s ever happened!”  
  
The boy turned a fierce green stare upon Severus, as if daring him to argue. But Severus was fairly stunned by Harry’s words and for once, arguing didn’t even enter his mind.  
  
Severus’ breath hitched. How was it possible for Harry to not hate him?  
  
“How can you still feel that way? I ruined your chance for a normal life, a normal childhood?” he croaked.  
  
Harry was shaking his head slightly.  
  
“I don’t look at it like that. Of course I wish my parents had lived, but who’s to say that my life would’ve been better if they did?”  
  
Severus opened his mouth to protest, but Harry held up a hand to stop him.  
  
“I’m not saying they wouldn’t have loved me or that they would have mistreated me like the Dursleys did, but they were actively fighting against Voldemort, so it was a dangerous life for them even without that blasted prophecy making things worse. There’s no way to know if it would have turned out better or not. If they’d lived long enough for me to know them, to know what being loved and cared for should feel like, it would have been infinitely worse; being shipped off to my aunt and uncle later. We simply cannot know. So speculating on it is futile.”  
  
Severus swallowed several times. He’d never really thought of Potter as an intellectual, but his reasoning was surprisingly well thought out and even a tad philosophical. Severus didn’t really know how to respond, so he settled for inclining his head.  
  
A few moments passed in silence before Harry started fidgeting.  
  
“Um, Severus?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
A deep sigh.  
  
“There’s more.”  
  
Severus raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Harry cleared his throat before talking again.  
  
“I guess you know that you didn’t hear the prophecy in its entirety. The last part,” here Harry paused, a tense expression on his face, and took a deep breath, “The last part stated that ‘neither can live while the other survives’. I have to kill him. It has to be me. Not that it was a big surprise, I guess I kind of expected it, but it’s still... well, it’s still quite daunting if I’m to be honest.”  
  
Harry shrugged and forced a smile. A small, crooked smile that seemed to convey a sort of resignation rather than amusement.  
  
Severus’ insides were churning. Harry had been told that it was his responsibility to defeat the most powerful Dark Lord Great Britain had ever seen. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or perhaps scream.  
  
“Harry, you can’t possibly intend to go off hunting him just because some quack said it has to be so.”  
  
Harry looked at him with that tired expression again, but there was something else. A hard, unyielding determination that clearly told Severus that the decision was made.  
  
“I’m not going right this instant, Severus, and I doubt I’ll be alone in this. I’m sure Dumbledore has some kind of plan,” the boy said.  
  
Severus snorted and mumbled, “Doesn’t he always?”  
  
Harry gifted him with that cheeky smile which always made Severus’ stomach do a weird somersault. He’d certainly never planned on growing to care for the boy as more than a convenient, albeit greatly satisfying, bedfellow. But the little imp has crawled under his skin somehow. The thought of Harry facing the Dark Lord alone made his heart clench and his chest ache.  
  
“You will _not_ be facing him alone!” Severus said vehemently.  
  
Harry turned a beaming smile on Severus.  
  
“So you aren’t kicking me out of your bed yet?” Harry ventured.  
  
Severus rolled his eyes.  
  
“You, Harry, have invaded far more than my bed, I’m afraid,” he drawled while lifting a hand to cup the brat’s cheek.  
  
Harry’s features sprang into an expression of sheer shock before he quickly rearranged them into a slightly curious, but otherwise unreadable expression.  
  
Severus went through his words again to find what had caused the reaction in Harry and he mentally blanched when he realized that his statement could have easily implied a significant amount of emotion on his end.  
  
Apparently Harry has understood it as such, but his reaction would suggest that he thought it wasn’t meant that way, or that Severus hadn’t meant to say it. Which he hadn’t of course. But well, if he was being honest, he cared a great deal about Harry and what would it hurt if they boy knew? If the brat had had any ulterior motives, elaborate stories should have been circulating Hogwarts on the sixty seventh edition at this point. No, they boy had been courteous and attentive and surprisingly discreet.  
  
Severus decided to take a leap of faith.  
  
“No need to look so surprised, Harry. I should think it was obvious at this point that I’ve grown quite accustomed to your presence. I find it increasingly pleasant. But I must warn you before you get all sappy; I am _not,_ nor will I ever be, your _boyfriend,”_ Severus shuddered at the word, “But I suppose, if you wish it, this can be... well, more than casual,” he finished without his usual flawless eloquence. The boy’s presence must have rubbed off on him, he thought.  
  
Harry stared at him incredulously.  
  
Immediately Severus felt his internal protective walls start to go up. How could he have been so stupid? Potter was a young man! Just because Severus thought their non-relationship was perhaps evolving into something more, or at least he wanted it to, it didn’t mean that the boy felt the same.  
  
Severus got up abruptly.  
  
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that, Mister Potter. You’ll want to leave, I’m sure,” he forced out, turning away. A hand attached to his elbow.  
  
“No! Don’t go, Severus! I was just surprised is all. I’ll take you in any capacity you are willing to offer,” the boy finished softly, his tone begging for Severus to believe him.  
  
Severus turned around slowly and reluctantly looked down at Harry who was clinging to his elbow.  
  
The boy tried a small, tentative smile.  
  
“I thought you knew that gaping is one of my most prominent skills, Severus,” Harry said, clearly trying to lift the mood. When Severus’ expression didn’t soften the boy lifted a hand and traced it affectionately down the side of his Potions Master’s face.  
  
“I do want you, Severus! I just never thought... well, you’re not exactly the romantic type and...” he broke off with a frustrated groan and settled his head on Severus’s chest, sighing.  
  
“I can’t seem to find the right words.”  
  
Severus surprised himself by chuckling briefly. Harry’s blazing green eyes turned on him and the cheeky smile was back.  
  
“Who would have guessed that Severus Snape would be the one to suggest a serious relationship with the Boy Who Wouldn’t Bloody Die? Shouldn’t it have been me trailing after you, slobbering on the floor, like a lovesick puppy?”  
  
Severus narrowed his eyes at the brat.  
  
“Don’t let it go to your head, Potter, I might change my mind,” he grumbled.  
  
Harry snickered.  
  
“Jeez, I say one thing and straight away you’re back to Potter. Well, at least I have a fairly good idea how to change that.”  
  
Severus lifted his eyebrow, while trying to appear indifferent.  
  
“How so, Mister Potter?”  
  
Harry pushed Severus back, walking him towards the armchair in the corner, a feral smile invading his features.  
  
Severus could feel his cock start to fill, almost a pavlovian response to that smile. When his calves hit the chair, Harry already had his trousers undone and was in the process of pushing them down. His eyes never left Severus’ face until the Potions Master had toed off his shoes and stepped out of his clothes.  
  
Then, the boy looked down to see Severus’ pants tenting impressively. An eyebrow quirked in a very Snape-like fashion and a teasing smile appeared.  
  
“Well, at least _somebody’s_ happy to see me,” he purred.  
  
Severus pressed his lips into a thin line. Tempting thought it was, he would not laugh at such a deeply cliché line. Harry didn’t expect him to either, it seemed. He unceremoniously pulled Severus’ pants down and pushed him into the chair. Harry grabbed a pillow for his knees and knelt down on the floor between Severus’ legs with a hungry expression on his face.  
  
Severus was reminded of somewhat near the beginning of their relationship, when Harry had hesitantly confessed, stammering all the way, that he’d never given a blowjob before. Severus has been slightly taken aback. He’d thought the boy had at least some experience with the way he came on to Severus that first night. When he’d pushed, the boy had admitted that he’d only gone as far as a little groping with some Gryffindor girl and that was all of his previous sexual adventures. Obviously, the experience had been found lacking and Harry had reluctantly admitted that he might have gone into a dubious store, with some highly dubious reading material, one night when the Dursleys had locked him out. He might also have had an epiphany about his believed straightness after perusing some of said magazines, especially the ones featuring very naked men doing very sexy things.  
  
The fact that had shocked Severus the most though, was that the Gryffindor Golden Boy claimed to have had a crush on him, Severus Snape, ugly old git, ever since he returned for his sixth year.  
  
According to the boy, Potions lessons had involved a great deal of ogling, involuntary hard-ons and surreptitious adjustments through robes. Severus couldn’t believe he’d missed it, but he was used to scanning the crowd of dimwits for cheaters and impending catastrophes, not drooling Saviors.  
  
Severus had also been quite displeased that Harry hadn’t told him that he was actually a virgin when he came to Severus that first time. Granted, the sex had been amazing and the boy evidently was an extremely intuitive and passionate lover - he’d certainly been demanding and even commanding enough - so Severus had attributed any slight hesitancy to the fact that it was _him_ the boy had chosen to be with. He wasn’t exactly the natural choice for a sixteen year old with little experience.  
  
Sometimes, Severus would still cringe inwardly when he thought about their age difference, but Harry was very mature for his age and for some unfathomable reason, they were very compatible and enjoyed each other’s company immensely.  
  
So why shouldn’t they be together?  
  
Frankly, Severus could think of about a million reasons and if they were discovered... well, he’d probably end up in Azkaban faster than he’d be able to say, “Bloody hell!” On trial for high treason or some such rot. Not to mention what the Dark Lord would do to him if he realized that Severus has been shagging the boy for a good two months, but failed to bring him before his master.  
  
Severus shook himself and pulled back to reality, in which Harry was kissing his way up Severus’ thigh. The boy had become very proficient at this. His first few tries had been a bit lacking. Technique had been non existent and when the brat had attempted to swallow, he’d choked and coughed for ten minutes. But, with a few pieces of basic advice and a lot of practice, Harry was now very skilled at sucking cock.  
  
Severus’ breath hitched when Harry’s lips placed a soft kiss on his erect shaft. The boy poked out his tongue and gave the head a quick, teasing lick. Severus moaned and threaded his fingers through the soft, unruly hair covering the head in his lap. Harry promptly licked all the way down Severus’ hopefully twitching cock, burrowing his nose in the black curls at the base, breathing in deeply.  
  
Severus heard a mumble through the thundering in his ears.  
  
“Mmm... Love how you smell.”  
  
Severus merely whimpered. His cock felt like it was about to burst - and not in the good way.  
  
He tried to hold still, he really did, but Harry was still just nuzzling his throbbing erection and he wanted, no he needed more! His small hip undulations must have alerted Harry to this fact as well, because he breathed deeply on Severus’ straining cock, which jerked at the sensation, a feat Harry had declared he found extremely erotic, before he swallowed it all down in one go.  
  
Severus cried out and, keening, moved his hands to the armrests which he grabbed in a death grip.  
  
“Fuck!” he moaned. Harry really had become ridiculously good at this. He used tongue, lips, fingers and even teeth skillfully and Severus felt like he was on a rollercoaster ride; so many sensations surged through him and his stomach flipped over and over again, but all in a good way.  
  
Harry licked, sucked and swirled his tongue until Severus came explosively down his throat with an impressive shout. It was so intense that he almost blacked out.  
  
He’d slumped languidly in the chair and when he came back to reality, he realized that Harry’s mouth was still wrapped around his now limp cock. The boy was sucking gently still, with his head resting on the juncture between Severus’ thigh and groin. He was humming contentedly.  
  
Severus looked down, a corner of his mouth quirking up. The boy drew back a little, but kept giving small licks to the rather sensitive head.  
  
“I love your cock,” Harry sighed in a slightly dreamy voice, “It’s delicious.”  
  
Severus smiled and carded his fingers through the boy’s hair.  
  
“It doesn’t matter how much you sweet-talk it, it’s worn out for a while still,” he lamented.  
  
Realizing something, he straightened slightly and cleared his throat.  
  
“What about you, Harry?”  
  
The boy blushed scarlet.  
  
“Um, I’m afraid I didn’t make it far past your orgasm. As soon as I tasted you, with the sounds you were making...” he trailed off, before burrowing his head in Severus’ groin once more, apparently embarrassed.  
  
Severus found it excessively adorable how Harry could be so innocent and at the same time be so absolutely ferocious and unreserved with regards to sex. It was one of the things he loved most about Harry, he found.  
  
Severus froze at the realization. He’d known for a while that he held a deep affection for the boy, but love? Severus had not loved, or been loved, much in his life. He didn’t have much experience with that particular emotion and frankly, it scared him.  
  
He looked down at Harry, who had scooted up slightly, resting his head on Severus’ lower belly. He supposed that the warm, tender feeling he experienced whenever the brat came around or did something nice or sent him one of those smiles... well, it could be love, couldn’t it?  
  
It was too early to think about it though, and he wasn’t too keen on putting himself out there, risking a negative response, yet again that day.  
  
They stayed like that, with Harry caressing Severus’ belly, Severus’ hand in Harry’s hair, for quite a while, neither of them speaking.  
  
Eventually Harry stirred from his position on the floor and crawled up into Severus’ lap, snuggling in and tugging his head under his teacher’s chin.  
  
“Severus?”  
  
Severus placed a hand on the boy’s hip and hummed in answer.  
  
“Um, I know this is all top secret but I feel bad lying to Ron and Hermione on a daily basis and well, I was wondering if there’s any way I could maybe... you know, tell them?”  
  
Severus froze. He knew the brat was very close to Weasley and Granger and they had proved very trustworthy in the past, but this would have enormous repercussions if it became public knowledge. It wasn’t a risk he could take. Would Harry want to end their relationship if he denied him in this? Severus was a little baffled by how much the thought of losing Harry hurt him. The idea of what his life would be if he lost this was frankly terrifying. He could already see an endless line of deathly boring evenings alone in his chambers. They always seemed so bleak and depressing without Harry here to liven them up.  
  
Harry was looking expectantly, if a little warily, at him. Severus cleared his throat.  
  
“I think it would be best to keep this between us for the time being. I realize that your trusty sidekicks are usually privy to all information, but this is a really sensitive matter and if it was leaked to any of your fellow students or teachers the ramifications would be-”  
  
“Ron and Hermione wouldn’t tell!” Harry interrupted indignantly.  
  
Severus rolled his eyes.  
  
“As much as I want to believe that you cannot be certain that circumstances outside of our control wouldn’t result in our relationship being revealed. It is bad enough that _we_ know, that there _is_ something to know! If anybody found out, if the information made it to the Dark Lord or even just a reporter... You’d be expelled and I’d be fired and locked in Azkaban, and that’s just the low level disasters that would ensue from such an event!”  
  
The boy at least had the decency to blush a bit, but Severus wasn’t finished yet.  
  
“So I’m sorry, but I can’t take that risk and if that is enough for you to want to cease our liaison then maybe it’s for the best really and-”  
  
Harry had clapped a hand over Severus’ mouth and his eyes were comically wide.  
  
“Whoa there! Hold it! I never said it was a condition for us continuing our... this...” The boy stopped with a sheepish expression, “Um, what is this exactly?”  
  
Severus raised an eyebrow and removed Harry’s hand from over his mouth.  
  
“Well, I would venture that ‘relationship’ would be a suitable label for what we’re doing, but if you prefer something else?”  
  
Harry shook his head frantically. “No, relationship is fine!” Then a smile spread on his face, softening his features.  
  
“Fine, I will not tell Ron and Hermione. I still don’t like it, but I understand. And I think, since I’m being so understanding, you should totally fuck me good and proper to make it up to me.”  
  
Once again, Severus was faced with his favorite cheeky grin. Not that he’d ever tell the brat that. He sighed and hauled Harry up and carried him bridal style to the bedroom and proceeded to meet Harry’s demand. Very thoroughly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Not everything is about Quidditch, Ron!” Granger huffed. “Also, he’s improved a lot in Defense Against the Dark Arts too, didn’t you notice?”
> 
> Moments passed before Granger’s voice sounded again, exasperated, “Oh honestly, Ron! Would you notice if he dyed his hair yellow?”
> 
> “Oi! I do notice things. Just… different things.”
> 
> A very Granger-ish snort resounded through the bookcases.
> 
> “Yeah? Like what?”
> 
> “Eh… I noticed… that you started wearing lace stockings…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's chapter 4. I'm really sorry about the delay, stuff happened! There were sick people and lots of christmas trees... so yeah, enjoy ;)
> 
> **Warnings:** This is slash (male/male), if it’s not your thing, please skip this one.   
>  Depending on the age of consent in your country, this story could contain underage sex, as Harry is 16 in this story. Otherwise beware of unprotected gay sex. I do NOT condone sex without protection, but this is fiction and Harry and Severus are wizards. They use spells instead. Just FYI.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I own nothing, neither places nor characters.
> 
> Bear hugs and kisses to my prereader SimplyMatt and my beta Corey Smith.

Chapter 4

  
Severus whipped his wand out as soon as the office door shut behind Harry.  
  
 _“Legilimens!”_  
  
The boy stumbled back from the force of the spell, but Severus could feel that he immediately started resisting and attempted to stop the invasion of his mind. A few dim images passed, nothing significant, merely a glimpse of Harry lounging in the Gryffindor common room with his friends and flying over the lake, watching the Giant Squid frolicking near the surface.  
  
Then, he was ejected forcefully and Harry turned a disapproving look upon Severus, his lips pursed.  
  
“You really are a bastard sometimes, Severus,” the brat said, dumping his books on a desk.  
  
Severus merely smirked and walked over, bowing down and brushing a quick kiss on the boy’s lips. While they were still very passionate and usually had trouble keeping their hands off each other, the circumstances had made a certain amount of seriousness necessary, and since Dumbledore had come forth and asked Severus to teach Harry Occlumency, they now had a legitimate reason for scheduling meetings regularly.  
  
Naturally, Severus had bitched about having to suffer Harry’s company, and how it would make his life a living hell to have to teach him. He needed to keep up appearances after all, but he’d relented after Dumbledore went from merely asking to subtly threatening, and secretly he’d been overjoyed that he’d get to spend more time with the brat.  
  
To be honest, Severus had expected Harry to be a total waste of time when it came to Occlumency, but he’d been surprised. After the initial failure and subsequent argument – there had been yelling and throwing things and general mayhem – Severus had booted Harry out in order for them both to cool down, and the boy had run straight to Granger complaining and she’d shoved a few choice books in his face. Apparently, having your significant other as your teacher beget some modicum of motivation, because the brat had plowed through a couple of books and it seemed like something had stuck.  
  
When they’d met for their next lesson, Harry had been calm and collected and he’d asked a few relevant questions, which had made Severus realize that perhaps he’d taken the wrong approach to teaching this particular subject. Harry learned a lot through trial and error, but it seemed like he needed to know the how and why of it before he could do it properly. When they’d discussed it a bit and tried again, Severus had seen a vast improvement and the brat had developed his skills quickly.  
  
Presently, Harry was able to block Severus all the time if he was granted time to prepare, but when subjected to a sneak attack he’d be able to block it half the time, while the rest of the time he managed to expel Severus from his mind within a few seconds.  
  
They had progressed so quickly that Harry had asked Severus to teach him some defense spells as well. Given his knowledge about which spells were favored by the Death Eaters, it was a good way to prepare for any future duels.  
  
Wrenching himself back to the present, Severus summoned a list of defense spells that he wanted to teach Harry and handed it over.  
  
“These are the spells you will be attempting to learn next, and you will read up on them and write two inches per spell as homework. For today, I want you to try a few of the spells from last time, but wordless this time. It’s far above your level, but you might as well begin now. Needless to say that being able to master wordless magic will give you a tremendous advantage in dueling. Now, why don’t we start with a simple _Protego_ for your first try?”  
  
Harry cringed and looked at Severus with a disgruntled expression.  
  
“You’re giving me homework? Really?”  
  
Severus narrowed his eyes and leaned in, looming over the boy.  
  
“Did you imagine that just because we’re intimate, you could get away with slouching off in my lessons?” he said, raising an incredulous eyebrow.  
  
Harry scowled, but then changed tactics and looked up from under his lashed and smiled cheekily.  
  
“No, of course not. Why ever would I think something like that?” he asked with a tone so innocent it was obviously fake. Then he proceeded to _accidentally_ knock a book to the floor and then the brat had the nerve to bend over right in front of Severus to pick it up. The Potions Master rolled his eyes at the display and snorted for good measure.  
  
“Really, Potter? That is so obvious even Mister Weasley would get it despite him being spectacularly stupid and as straight as humanly possible!”  
  
Harry huffed and stuck his tongue out, but couldn’t keep a grin off his face.  
  
“Right, so let’s get on with it then, I have big plans for us afterwards.”  
  
Severus pretended not to care, but truthfully, even though it was the most obvious and tacky attempt at seduction Hogwarts had ever seen, Harry’s bending over stunt had created a serious issue of not-enough-space in his trousers. Perhaps he should take his chance to smack that fine arse later. Severus was ready to bet that it’d look good with a few handprints on it.  
  
“Severus?” Harry asked, looking inquisitive.  
  
Severus realized he’d been quiet too long and immediately pulled his mind out of the gutter where it had gleefully wandered off to. Time to focus.  
  
____________________________________________________________  
  
A few weeks later Severus was in the library searching for a text on ancient healing potions when he heard familiar voices from behind the bookcase he was currently looking through. He strained his ears to hear and caught the last part of a sentence.  
  
“- think he has a secret girlfriend, Ron?”  
  
Oh, Granger and Weasley. Severus debated with himself if he should eavesdrop or not, but well, he _was_ a Slytherin after all. It’d be very strange for him not to use anything he could get to his advantage. So he cast a concealment charm on himself and snuck further into the rows.  
  
Weasley’s voice reached his ears clearly. Not that Severus had expected him to be subtle at all.  
  
“I don’t know, Hermione. He has been acting strange lately. I’ve seen Cho with a Ravenclaw boy so it can’t be her, but I thought Harry still fancied her.”  
  
A deep sigh followed.  
  
“If only he’d tell us what he’s been doing. I mean, it’s not like he’s obvious about it, but there’s something that doesn’t fit. Every time I ask him about it, he either deflects or shuts up altogether. It’s frustrating.”  
  
There was a few seconds of silence and Severus could practically hear Weasley’s brain working.  
  
“Maybe he’s sneaking off to practice Occlumency. He told me it was embarrassing that it took so long for him to catch on and that he still had trouble doing it right.”  
  
That was certainly news to Severus, but maybe Harry had used that as an excuse for why he was still taking lessons frequently. But apparently Granger wasn’t fooled.  
  
“No, Ron, I don’t think that’s it. He may tell us that’s why, but it doesn’t make sense. And it wouldn’t explain the changes in his mood. Doesn’t he seem… happier?”  
  
“Umm, I guess. He has been flying really well lately. That could be it, couldn’t it?”  
  
“Not everything is about Quidditch, Ron!” Granger huffed. “Also, he’s improved a lot in Defense Against the Dark Arts too, didn’t you notice?”  
  
Moments passed before Granger’s voice sounded again, exasperated, “Oh honestly, Ron! Would you notice if he dyed his hair yellow?”  
  
“Oi! I do notice things. Just… different things.”  
  
A very Granger-ish snort resounded through the bookcases.  
  
“Yeah? Like what?”  
  
“Eh… I noticed… that you started wearing lace stockings…”  
  
The only answer to that was a huff and a loud smack. Then footsteps moved away along with some grumbling that seemed to originate from Weasley.  
  
Severus was left thinking that Granger would end up being a serious problem. She was way too clever for her own good. He suspected that Weasley wouldn’t figure it out, short of if Severus broke into Gryffindor Tower and climbed on top of Potter and fucked him right in front of him.  
  
With Harry’s nonexistent ability to be subtle it was probably a miracle that the know-it-all hadn’t already figured out that there was something worse than a secret girlfriend going on, but Severus would take any mercies he was granted. He still resolved to talk to Harry about coming up with something that would have made him seem happier – and didn’t that particular statement make him feel ridiculously mushy – in order to throw Granger off the girlfriend theory.  
  
_________________________________________________________   
  
When Severus kept Harry after the next Potions lesson, he only intended to pass on the message that Harry would need to do something or other to throw Granger off or, you know, distract her with some other problem. Anything. But, yeah… they somehow ended up making out like their lives depended on it. There was some heavy petting going on, and then some.  
  
Harry had somehow ended up with his legs thrown around Severus’ waist and his hands tangled in the long, black strands of his Professor’s hair. Severus’ hands had taken on a will of their own and had ended up on the boy’s hips, sliding down towards his firm buttocks.   
  
While he slotted his mouth over Harry’s, there was a small part of his mind that kept trying to get his attention, trying to sound the alarm. Tried to get Severus to recognize the fact that he was making out with a student in his classroom where anyone could barge in on them. But as the brat tightened his grip on Severus’ hair and pulled on it while moaning deep in his throat, it kind of went out the metaphorical window.  
  
He had just bitten down on Harry’s bottom lip and ground his hips down into the obvious bulge pressed against him when there was a sharp knock on the office door. Severus cursed, dropped the boy – who landed flat on his arse with an _oomph_ – righted his clothes as best he could, shoved Harry under the desk and sat down while calling out as calmly as he could possibly manage, “Enter.”  
  
The door opened slowly and revealed Flitwick standing hesitantly outside. Perhaps his tone of voice had not been as calm as he’d hoped. Severus sighed inwardly and had to remind himself that he needed to not act as though Flitwick had interrupted a very satisfactory make-out session. He was naturally snarky, but at least towards his colleagues he was usually cordial, and there was no reason to give them cause to suspect something was up with their Potions Master. More than there normally was in any case.  
  
Severus nodded and gestured to the chair in front of his desk.  
  
“Yes, Filius, can I help you with something?”  
  
Flitwick walked up to his desk and hefted himself up in the chair with a little difficulty. Severus pretended not to notice the way the short man’s feet dangled almost a foot over the floor.  
  
Flitwick cleared his throat and took out his wand, giving it a swish, conjuring a list, containing the names of some students.  
  
“I hope so, Severus. I have a list of students here that managed to charm a poor girl into having blue hair, an extra arm and a bad case of gills, and well, I need to find some appropriate punishment. That poor girl was so traumatized she refused to see anyone for the rest of the day. Madam Pomfrey had to give her a double dose of Calming Draught. So, I need something to punish them with that will make them think twice about ever doing something like that again. Given the infamous detentions you host, I thought I’d ask you if maybe you needed someone to chop up something less than… _appealing?”_  
  
Severus was surprised to see a slightly wicked gleam in Flitwick’s eyes. The Charms Professor had always been quite soft in regards to any victims of bullying, but well, Severus did quite enjoy doling out harsh punishments, so he never really complained. Only recently had he toned it back a little, simply because he had other things he wanted to do with his evenings.  
  
Taking the offered list, Severus scanned the names of the culprits. He recognized all of them and could place them as a gang of burly boys who always tried to hang together in the back of the classroom. None of them had any skills to speak of in potions but they weren’t exactly terrible either. Not that he’d ever tell them so.  
  
Suddenly Severus felt a warm hand creep up from his knee, along his thigh, inching closer to his crotch. He froze and concentrated hard on not letting anything show in his expression. _That_ couldn’t be happening! He would kill the bloody brat! But not before Flitwick left. Murdering a student in front of a colleague would definitely be bad for his career. Not to mention that a certain Dark Lord would _not_ be amused.  
  
As the hand reached the groove between thigh and groin, Severus aimed a kick at where he thought Harry would be sitting. This had to stop immediately! His foot didn’t make impact though and the hand suddenly squeezed uncomfortably. Right then. No kicking.  
  
Severus tried to adjust his seat without squirming noticeably. Flitwick didn’t give him any weird looks so he counted it as a victory.  
  
“I’m sure we could figure something out, Filius,” Severus drawled and then almost squeaked when Harry’s fingers curled around the bulge in trousers. Severus fought not to hiss and tried to kick again. His cock didn’t get the memo, of course, and instantly started taking a vivid interest in the proceedings, filling and starting to strain against the confinement of his trousers.  
  
Dragging in a deep breath, Severus forced what he hoped was close to his usual malicious smile and inquired about Filius’ wishes for the length and severity of the punishments. Flitwick apparently took that as his cue to start blabbering away, and Severus was sufficiently distracted by the hand that was now massaging his erection to not call a halt to the lecture right away.  
  
There was a reason that Severus wasn’t anyone’s idea of a confidante, and that was the fact that he usually refused to listen and merely stared balefully at anyone trying to start up a conversation with him. Lately a few of his colleagues had started talking to him in the teacher’s lounge and he had dismissed it as a fluke, but perhaps his relationship with Harry had softened him so much that people could actually feel it. What if that was what prompted them to talk to him all of a sudden? Previously it was only Dumbledore who had ignored his prickly exterior and insisted on having more than three worded communications with the cranky Potions Master.  
  
Under the desk Harry had apparently gotten bored with the limitations of his ministrations, and he had attacked the buttons on Severus’ fly. Once he got them all opened, the brat wasted no time, diving a hand right in and pulling out Severus throbbing cock, immediately licking away the drop of precome at the tip. Severus gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep listening to Flitwick for a while longer. He could not see another way to get out of this with his dignity intact as things were progressing presently.  
  
Severus was glad that he had a propensity for doling out punishments because he felt sure that if he didn’t have a few regimes so well ingrained that he could rattle them off without having to think too much, he’d have alerted Flitwick to the fact that his brain was currently being sucked out through his cock. Once again, he was forced to recognize the way Harry had improved his skills, since the brat swallowed him down to the root without making so much as a gasp or hard breath to reveal his presence.  
  
After a few additional moments where Severus nodded and _‘hmm’ed_ at the right times, while having a death grip on the edge of the desk, Flitwick seemed to realize exactly who he was talking to, or rather vomiting words to, and he suddenly snapped his mouth shut and looked like he was debating with himself whether he should apologize or simply pretend nothing out of the ordinary had happened. In the end, he seemed to just give half a shrug and hopped down to the floor at the same time that Harry twisted his tongue in a way that should be illegal. A small whimper escaped Severus and he quickly coughed to hide it, adding a few colorful punishments to his _make-Harry-regret-ever-messing-with-a-potions-master_ plan.  
  
Flitwick fidgeted slightly and pocketed his wand.  
  
“Well, shall I tell them to show up here for their first detention this Saturday evening then? Eight o’clock?”  
  
Severus nodded and made sure to keep his haughty mask in place.  
  
“That will be fine, Filius. I will make sure they _reconsider_ their ways. Trust me.”  
  
With a nod, Flitwick walked out the door and closed it behind him. Severus waited a few tense seconds before he slumped over his desk with a deep groan. There was a snicker under the desk and an obscene, wet sound as Harry licked a trail up the underside of Severus’ poor cock.  
  
With an impressive growl, Severus pushed his chair back and reached under the desk, his fingers closing on the scruff of Harry’s school robe, pulling him out and up with a vicious yank.  
  
He made sure to utilize his best you-are-in- _so_ -much-trouble smirk and, from the way the boy swallowed convulsively, he managed pretty well.  
  
“Did you have fun, _Mister Potter?_ Hmm?”  
  
The corner of the brat’s mouth turned up in a slight smile and he licked his lips suggestively.  
  
Severus narrowed his eyes and with a hiss he turned Harry around and pushed him down, bending him over the desk. The boy didn’t resist after that, actually he planted his hands on the surface of the desk, pushing his arse out towards Severus, looking back over his shoulder with a hungry expression. The Potions Master didn’t waste any time. He immediately shoved the robe up and unzipped the brat’s pants, pulling them down so they dangled around his ankles.  
  
Severus had lost all patience with the teasing he’d received, so he draped himself over Harry’s back, whispering filth in his ears while doing a wordless lubricating spell and shoving in two fingers even though he knows Harry prefers minimal preparation, just to assert his authority. The boy hissed and bucked up his hips. Severus prevented any complaints by scissoring his fingers abruptly and simultaneously biting down hard in the crook of Harry’s neck. A startled moan ripped out of the boy’s panting mouth.  
  
Severus removed his fingers and quickly slicked up his neglected cock before kicking the brat’s legs as far apart as his pants allowed and lining himself up. Once there, he hesitated, rubbing his cock head up and down the cleft of Harry’s arse. After a few passes, the boy started to squirm, puffing out an irritated breath. Eventually he looked back over his shoulder again, a disgruntled expression marring his features.  
  
“Are you gonna fuck me or not, Severus?”  
  
Severus merely raised an eyebrow. Harry sighed and let his forehead thump down onto the desk.  
  
“Fine, I’m sorry I distracted you. There, are you happy now? I was bored and well, your cock was just right there. It seemed like a great idea… at the time.”  
  
The cheeky smile was back and Severus was determined not to soften in the face of his favorite smile ever.  
  
“And the part where another teacher was in the room with us, and could’ve discovered what you were doing? That you were there in the first place?” Severus punctuated that last sentence with a shallow thrust that made the first inch of his cock breach Harry’s hole.  
  
Harry’s back arched and he tried to push back, wanting to take more of Severus in. When Severus held his hips in place, he whimpered.  
  
“Okay, okay, Severus, you made your point. I won’t ever do that again. Now, please, _please_ fuck me!”  
  
Severus sighed and gave in. It wasn’t like he didn’t want it every bit as much as the brat. He curled his arms around Harry’s waist and shoved in all the way. The boy hissed and moaned, the broken hitch of his breath telling Severus that he managed to hit that sweet spot and at the same time delivered just the right amount of pain. It seemed like Harry enjoyed the pain, to a certain amount, at least as much as the pleasure. Perhaps Severus should be worried about it, but it meant that he got to fuck the brat raw on frequent occasions, so he let it go.  
  
They rocked together accompanied by a cacophony of moans and gasps for a few moments more before Severus braced himself on the desk and picked up his pace and force. When he could feel the heat coiling in his gut, preparing to explode in a burst of pleasure, he let his right hand wander down and grab Harry’s erection, bobbing against his stomach. He gave it a few sharp tugs and then the boy yelled out and came in pulses, coating the side of Severus’ desk with streaks of pearly come. Severus bit down on the sweaty, soft skin in front of him, right between Harry’s shoulder blades and managed a few strokes more before he came with a muffled shout.  
  
Before the lassitude could settle in for real, Severus directed a _Scourgify_ on his desk and he manhandled Harry into his private chambers, where they settled on the couch for a brief rest. Eventually, Severus remembered why he’d asked Harry to stay behind after class in the first place, and he quickly told Harry what he’d heard in the library and how he thought maybe they’d need to come up with something to distract Granger somehow. Harry merely snorted and with a lopsided smile, suggested that perhaps he should just let her know he was questioning his sexuality and then she’d be off his back for a while, trying to find the best ‘Manual for The Gay Wizard’ book she could get her hands on.  
  
Severus rolled his eyes and told Harry he could use whatever excuse he wanted to. Harry threw him a tired smile and got up.  
  
“I have Quidditch practice in half an hour so I need to go. Can I come back tonight, or is that too risky?”  
  
“I don’t see why not, if you can sneak out without getting caught or arousing too much suspicion. But if anything seems off, you stay in the Tower!” Severus snapped the last part to make sure Harry got it.  
  
The boy bent down, kissed Severus chastely and slung his backpack over his shoulder.  
  
“See you tonight, then.”  
  
Severus huffed and narrowed his eyes, but the door had already closed behind Harry.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
Severus was walking tiredly towards the entrance to his private chambers. Today had been an especially trying day, with several exploding cauldrons, unexpected side effects to wrongly brewed potions, and somehow his glower hadn’t worked as well on the dimwits as it normally did. He was just about ready to settle in with a book and refuse to deal with anything further today. His students would just have to make do without him.  
  
When he rounded the last corner he froze mid-step. The door to his chamber was cracked open. He knew nobody beside himself had the password and there were no signs of forced entry. Severus stepped cautiously forward and took a look at the portrait. The snake that inhabited it was slumbering soundly in a coil and nothing seemed out of place. But there was a distinct presence that wasn’t Severus’ own and it wasn’t Dumbledore’s either. Besides, the old coot wouldn’t have bothered breaking open the door if he wanted to see Severus. He had sneaky ways of just turning up wherever he wished to be.  
  
Severus whipped out his wand and slid his hand in the open crack, pushing the portrait open and stepping inside, everything on high alert. He could feel his pulse thundering in his ears and he tried his best not to even breathe, straining his ears to hear anything that was not supposed to be there. It could be just a prank, or it could be a messenger from the Dark Lord. Perhaps Severus had disappointed somehow. Those occasions never ended pleasantly, but nevertheless, he was determined not to be surprised and attacked in his own home.  
  
A low crackle turned his attention towards the kitchen and Severus snuck that way, with grim determination. When he got closer he could hear someone shuffling around and opening cupboards. So, they thought they could come here and steal his things, did they? Well, they’d see about that. He threw open the door and was about to let loose with a _Stupefy_ when his wand suddenly wrenched out of his grip and skidded across the floor.  
  
A carefree laugh erupted in the kitchen.  
  
“Is that how you greet your guests, Severus?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, here's chapter 5 for you! Unless my plans change significantly there will only be 3 more chapters, one of which should be an epilogue.
> 
>  **Warnings:** This chapter contains some very light bondage, but emphasis on _light!_  
>  Depending on the age of consent in your country, this story could contain underage sex, as Harry is 16 in this story. Otherwise beware of unprotected gay sex. I do NOT condone sex without protection, but this is fiction and Harry and Severus are wizards. They use spells instead. Just FYI.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** I own nothing, neither places nor characters.
> 
> As usual I'd like to thank my pre reader SimplyMatt and my beta Corey Smith.

Chapter 5

  
Severus’ brain was frozen. Not even the Dark Lord had ever managed to disarm him unless he’d meant for it to happen. There was no light on in his kitchen, but somehow he didn’t feel threatened, despite being without his wand. There was no familiar magical aura, and normally Severus was very sensitive with that kind of thing, but there was also a distinct lack of menace in the whole atmosphere.  
  
Never having been one for surprises, pleasant or otherwise, Severus drew himself up to full height and put the dangerous tone of his Death Eater side to good use.  
  
“Who are you? What’s the meaning of this?” he snarled.  
  
The laugh sounded again, but this time Severus was able to recognize it easily.  
  
“ _Harry?_ ”  
  
As soon as the word had left his lips, the lights flared, and Harry’s unique magical aura returned to the room. The boy in question was standing by the stove, a pot simmering away, a delicious smell wafting across the room to where Severus was still standing, totally gobsmacked.  
  
“Hi,” the brat chirped cheekily.  
  
For a second Severus didn’t know if he should be furious or impressed, or if he should just punch the idiot boy and stomp off to brood. He felt a nervous tick around his left eye and took a few deep breaths before reaching out his hand.  
  
“My wand, if you please,” he forced out through gritted teeth. Harry winced and flicked a hand, using a non verbal levitating charm to return Severus’ wand to him.  
  
“Sorry, Severus it was simply too tempting to pass up the opportunity. It could just as easily have gone wrong. I mean, I didn’t actually think I’d manage to disarm you. I’ve worked a lot on the non verbal spells; clearly it’s getting a lot better than I thought.”  
  
When Severus still didn’t comment, his pride was smarting somewhat after all, the brat’s smile faltered slightly.  
  
“I really am sorry, Severus. I didn’t mean to startle you. I... I didn’t think about what you’d feel like, coming home to this. It was a stupid thing to do...”  
  
Great, now the boy looked like a goddamn kicked puppy! With a greatly exaggerated eye roll, Severus stepped up to the stove and bent over the pot, sniffing its contents. It seemed to be some sort of casserole. The smell made his mouth water.  
  
“Just out of curiosity, how the hell did you get in here?” Severus asked.  
  
Harry threw him a sideways glance, trying to gauge his mood.  
  
“Ah, I convinced your portrait to let me in?” he answered, hesitantly.  
  
The Potions Master’s head snapped around to stare at the brat.  
  
“My portrait is of Slytherin and his basilisk. I know for a fact that Salazar Slytherin would never let a Gryffindor into my chambers, no matter the persuasive abilities of said Gryffindor.”  
  
Harry blushed slightly and cleared his throat.  
  
“I’m a parseltongue, remember? I, um, I convinced the snake, not Slytherin himself. He was absent from the portrait at the time.”  
  
Severus couldn’t hold back the snort. Of course, he should have thought of that. Stupid basilisk! Not even a freaking snake could be trusted to keep a Slytherin’s chambers safe from bloody St. Potter.  
  
“Right, so what’s with the cooking? We do have house elves at Hogwarts.”  
  
Harry shrugged and blushed more, turning his back to Severus, stirring the pot of casserole.  
  
“Harry, what’s up?” Severus inquired in his you-better-answer-now tone.  
  
The boy sighed and his shoulders slumped a little.  
  
“I know there’s house elves, but I like cooking, it’s calming for me. Dobby got me the ingredients from the kitchen,” Harry explained, “I wanted to do something nice for you, and this is one of the things I know I can do well. I just thought maybe you’d like it...” he trailed off.  
  
Severus frowned.  
  
“Your abilities in potions hasn’t exactly prompted confidence in your potential cooking skills, but I have to admit that this doesn’t smell all that bad. Did you like to cook before you came to the school?”  
  
Once again, his answer was a shrug. When no further explanation was forthcoming, Severus huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his back against the counter.  
  
Eventually, the boy mumbled, “I used to cook for my aunt and uncle. They thought it was excellent punishment, but I still grew fond of cooking. When I made something good, they’d be, you know, less horrible. At least for a while.”  
  
Severus knew he was staring. Less horrible? Less than _what?_ He’d heard stories of course, about Harry being forced to live in a cupboard, about working like a slave for his relatives, but he’d always discarded it as attention seeking, either by Harry or by his friends, trying to bring themselves into the spotlight by association.  
  
“Did they punish you a lot?” Severus asked.  
  
Harry laughed humorlessly and ruffled his hair in a gesture that momentarily reminded Severus painfully of James, but when the boy turned his green eyes upon the potions master, there was no doubt that Harry was completely different from his father. There was a world of hurt and anger there, a steely sort of determination, but his features were carefully blank.  
  
“Yes, Severus. Alright? They were terrible... _are_ terrible towards me. They think all witches and wizards are freaks and they used to think they could sweat it out of me or something, working hard is all I’ve ever known. Having no friends whatsoever, because my cousin beat anyone at school who was ever kind to me. All my life I’ve been treated like I’m the most awful, useless burden they could have ever been saddled with, but there’s nothing to be done about that. As soon as I’m seventeen, I will not be going back there. Ever. That should make them happy and I definitely will be!”  
  
Not knowing what to say, Severus settled for nodding and briefly squeezed Harry’s shoulder when he passed to get the plates. The brat shook his head and from one beat to the next, the tired, vulnerable expression slid off his face and he was once again the cheeky Harry Severus was growing so fond of.  
  
Severus figured there was a lot more he’d need to know, but he was happy to let it go for now. Harry would tell him when he was ready. In the meantime, perhaps he should start coming up with a few plans to teach the Dursleys some manners. Possibly it would be prudent to ask Dumbledore about the boy’s living conditions. If the old man knew how Harry had been treated and still let him go back there every summer... well, Severus would have a few choice words for him. While he could not suddenly appear to care for the brat, he really had a duty to report it if he saw something truly incriminating in Harry’s memories. Seeing as Dumbledore believed they were working hard on Occlumency, it would be a plausible excuse.  
  
While he’d been pondering, Harry had taken the casserole off the stove and moved it to the small table in the living room and Severus followed with the plates and cutlery. They made meaningless small talk while eating and Severus had to rein himself in not to compliment Harry’s cooking to a point where he’d be embarrassed about himself later. It was really, really good and he even ate seconds, though he only rarely did.  
  
Once they were done, Severus insisted on a chess game, and Harry relented, though Severus knew it was mostly to humor him, since the brat never really liked strategical games. Within a few short moves, Severus had Harry boxed in and proceeded to destroy him. Harry only laughed and told Severus he’d have more fun playing Ron, who was supposedly a chess genius. Well, given that he’d beaten McGonagall’s chess pieces at age eleven, Severus was willing to admit that the ginger haired boy would probably be more fitted to his level.  
  
Afterwards, when they were good naturedly bickering about the best ways to select memories for the Patronus charm, it suddenly hit Severus how _domestic_ they were being. How it had evolved from rough, steamy fucking to this, he couldn’t really put his finger on. They still had more than their share of the wild sex, but when they were not tearing at each other, thrusting and moaning together, they sort of behaved like an old married couple.  
  
That thought should have scared Severus shitless, he was pretty sure, but it just _didn’t_. He actually liked this development quite a bit. Holy crap! He liked being bloody domestic with Harry Potter! How the fuck had that happened? He used to be a feared, merciless Death Eater, for crying out loud! If his fellow Death Eaters could see him sitting here, patting his casserole stuffed belly, discussing the merits of happy freaking memories with a sixteen year old, they’d piss themselves laughing.  
  
Before they killed him naturally, because, let’s face it, he was fucking a sixteen year old _boy_. Not only was he looking incredibly non-threatening like this, he’s also obviously gay. Death Eaters are not a tolerant bunch, they would prey on any weakness they could find. Not that Severus believed homosexuality to be a weakness, but _they_ would.  
  
When a warm hand snuck into his hair, Severus pushed the morose thoughts away and turned to catch the brat’s lips in a soft kiss that soon turned heated. Arms were everywhere, groping and grasping, and before long, Severus felt that a tactical retreat to the bedroom was in order. He cast a non-verbal feather light charm and threw Harry over his shoulder. The boy squawked indignantly, but Severus was already halfway across the living room so he appeared to deem it a waste of effort to fight him. Instead he pinched the Potion Master’s arse before giving it a quick slap.  
  
Severus growled and dumped the brat on the bed before promptly banishing both their clothes to a far corner of the room. Then, he prowled up the bed, over Harry’s body, not stopping until he was poised over his lover, staring directly down into those startling green eyes. They were burning hungrily and with a sort of challenge that Severus would gladly accept. He’d give that brat something to chew on... figuratively.  
  
Severus bent and started nipping and licking the boy’s throat, while running his hands down slender arms, grabbing hold of both Harry’s wrists, pulling them up and together over his head. While biting down on the soft flesh in the crook of the boy’s neck, he quickly did a non verbal _Incarcerous_ , tying the brat’s wrists to the headboard.  
  
When the ropes tightened, the boy gasped and jerked under Severus, his eyes widening momentarily.  
  
“Severus, what-?”  
  
Severus shushed the boy and let his hand drift down to pinch a nipple.  
  
“You’ve been an impudent brat lately, so I’m thinking it’s time to take you down a peg or two, hmm?”  
  
Harry snorted and gave Severus an unimpressed look, a corner of his mouth turning up.  
  
“You really think those will hold if I don’t want them to?” the brat inquired, an eyebrow raised.  
  
“Yes, I really think they will. I’ll make sure you are otherwise occupied, but look at it as a challenge if you want. Once I’ve started on you, feel free to try and sum up enough concentration to break my spell,” the Potions Master said, smirking maliciously.  
  
Then, before Harry could get a word in, he swooped down and enveloped the boy’s cock in his mouth.  
  
“Fuck, Severus, not fair,” the boy panted, writhing on the bed, pumping his hips up, shoving his erection further into his lover’s mouth. Severus hummed around his mouthful and swirled his tongue, making Harry cry out sharply.  
  
Severus was so focused on his task of making Harry an incoherent mess that it took him awhile to realize that the lights were flickering and the books rattling on their shelves in the bookcase. He paused, raising his head instantly to look for any sign of trouble, or worse: Peeves. As soon as he let go of Harry’s cock though, the rattling stopped and the lights returned to full flame.  
  
“What? Why are you stopping? Severus!” the brat whined.  
  
Severus stared at him with what he thought was probably a very unattractive expression. Harry was the cause? It had to be some sort of uncontrolled magical outburst then, and seeing as it had never happened before, he was left to conclude that apparently the boy reacted strongly to being tied up. Interesting.  
  
When the Potions Master continued his endeavor, even adding a few probing fingers to the mix, the books were soon vibrating in place; some even tumbling over the edge and clattering onto the floor. The bedside table was rattling, the drawer slowly popping out, and the boy was moaning and cursing, arching his back off the bed in ecstasy.  
  
It didn’t take long for Harry to yell out, shooting his come down Severus’ throat in hot spurts. He lay panting while his lover sucked out every last drop and then licked up any that may have escaped.  
  
Severus didn’t give him time to catch his breath, he instantly flipped the brat over and spread his legs, settling in and pushing his erection into the valley between the boy’s arse cheeks. When Harry simply moaned and pushed back, Severus grabbed his cock with a growl and shoved in violently.  
  
“AH! Fuck, shit, _fuck!”_ the brat hissed, pressing his face into a pillow, biting around a mouthful to stop himself crying out.  
  
Severus clamped a hand over the brat’s neck, pushing down and pistoning his hips fast and deep, fucking into the boy without restraint, a constant stream of filthy words spewing out his mouth.  
  
Harry seemed to appreciate it, if his muffled moans and groans were anything to go by. Within a few minutes the boy was desperately humping into the mattress while Severus pounded him like his life depended on it, so he gathered that the brat was hard again. He hauled the boy up on his knees and bent over his back, wrapping an arm around and under the boy’s belly to grab his weeping cock. All it took was a handful of uncoordinated tugs and Severus’ hand was coated in pearly white come. He brought his hand up in front of Harry’s face and commanded, “Suck!”  
  
As soon as his fingers were drawn into that sinful, warm mouth, Severus was lost, and a few thrusts later he came explosively, his vision blackening for a second. Harry yelled when he felt Severus’ release in him and they both shuddered, or actually the whole room shuddered and the world seemed to tilt a little. His ears were filled with the pounding of his pulse and an almighty crash sounded.  
  
Severus opened his eyes warily to survey the state of his bedroom and was confused for a moment when his perspective seemed to have changed since the last time he’d looked around. He untangled himself from the brat and pushed up on his elbows. Then, he snorted and dropped his head on his arms in surrender. Bloody hell!  
  
Harry hummed beside him, rubbing his wrists which had been released as Severus' shock had cut off his concentration.  
  
“What’s the matter, Sev?”  
  
The boy only seemed to use the nickname after a round of vigorous sex when he was simply too blissed out to say Severus’ whole name, so he let it go.  
  
“You seem to have enjoyed yourself thoroughly, Mister Potter,” he drawled dryly.  
  
Harry cracked open an eye and looked around, blanched and turned a sheepish smile on his lover.  
  
“Um, sorry Severus. I guess I got a bit carried away? I’ll, ah, I’ll fix it all, I promise.”  
  
Severus raised an eyebrow.  
  
“You’d better!” he said before rolling onto his back and grabbing the brat, pulling him close, for the sake of keeping warm of course. Since his bed was now completely _destroyed_ and they were actually lying on top of the debris, on the floor. All his books were scattered around the room, the bedside table drawer pulled half off its hinges and its content spilling onto the floor.  
  
Severus was going to stand scowling over the brat until he’d set it all to right again. Definitely. Tomorrow.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
When the next morning arrived, Severus woke Harry up by kicking him off the mattress and demanding he get busy returning the bedroom to its pre-disaster state. The boy grumbled tiredly, but shuffled over to his trousers and retrieved his wand to get to work.  
  
Severus went into the kitchen to prepare some tea and he was just measuring the Earl Grey when there was a _whoosh_ in the living room and the Headmaster’s voice called out.  
  
“Severus? Are you there?”  
  
Severus dropped his measuring spoon and slouched into the living room. It should be illegal to call upon one’s employees before they’ve had their morning tea and time to read the newspaper.  
  
The Headmaster’s face was bobbing in the flames of his fireplace, eyes already twinkling and a ridiculously bright green hat perched on top of his white hair.  
  
“Ah, there you are, my boy. I want to see you and Harry in my office after lunch. Do you mind letting Harry know? He seems to have gotten a bit, eh, fond of you, hm?”  
  
With that, Dumbledore’s head vanished with a faint _poof_ and Severus was left standing in front of his fireplace, gaping unattractively, with a nervous tick at the corner of his mouth.  
  
Did the old fool know? Had he heard or, Merlin forbid, _seen_ something?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Around Severus, various furniture started vibrating and the tea mugs on the coffee table toppled over, one even crashing to the floor, cracking down the middle.
> 
> Harry was starting to shake.
> 
> “So, what? You are willing to just throw what we have away because of that lunatic madman with ambitions too big for the whole bloody universe? Are you really that big of a coward, Severus?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd apologize for the delay, but it won't really make a difference and we all know of times when RL just gets in the way, right?
> 
> **Warnings:** This chapter contains some angst, so beware if that affects you too much.  
>  Depending on the age of consent in your country, this story could contain underage sex, as Harry is 16 in this story. Otherwise beware of unprotected gay sex. I do NOT condone sex without protection, but this is fiction and Harry and Severus are wizards. They use spells instead. Just FYI.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I own nothing, neither places nor characters.
> 
> As always, I'd like to thank my pre reader SimplyMatt and my beta Corey Smith.

Chapter 6

  
Severus may or may not have considered several ways to get himself out of Hogwarts, express speed, in case the meeting with Dumbledore should turn nasty.  
  
As he and Harry knocked on the door, however, the Headmaster called out in his usual chipper manner, and once they had entered, immediately offered them lemon drops.Harry, the sweet toothed brat, dug a hand into the bowl and selected a few of the sticky sweets, popping them in his mouth. The potions master was dearly tempted to tell him to spit those nauseating things out, but that would hardly be considered a part of his usual repertoire, so he managed to hold it back. He did send the boy a withering glare though. He’d surely be able to taste it in Harry’s mouth later.  
  
When Dumbledore himself had chewed through a handful of the lemon drops and a house elf had delivered tea, without them getting any closer to the reason for their summons, Severus raised an inquiring eyebrow and cleared his throat.  
  
“May I ask why you summoned us, Headmaster?”  
  
The old fool dared to chuckle at him.  
  
“Why, yes, I dare say you may, dear boy,” Severus tried his best not to wince at the term of endearment and when Dumbledore showed no reaction he thought he’d succeeded well enough, “It so happens that I have received intelligence that Lord Voldemort is planning on an attack on Hogwarts at the beginning of next summer, probably on a full moon night.”  
  
Trying to conceal his shock at this news, Severus quickly deflected by asking a question.  
  
“Why the full moon?”  
  
Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled brightly, annoying Severus to no end.  
  
“As I understand it, he is trying to get Greyback to ah... recruit some new blood, but werewolves will not be of much use to him unless they’re changed.”  
  
Before Severus could comment on that, Harry spoke up.  
  
“So are we going to launch an attack ourselves before he can get those last troops under his control?”  
  
Recalling his old attitude towards the brat, the potions master snarled, “What an idiotic question, Potter! Werewolves cannot _be_ controlled. The Dark Lord already has an army of Death Eaters and inferi! It’s not like a few extra werewolves will make a big difference in a battle, he merely enjoys inflicting mayhem, and the snarling mutts tend to accomplish that without even trying.”  
  
He also remembered to throw in a good scowl and some sneering to top it off. Thankfully the boy managed to look at least marginally affronted, though it might be a slightly lighter reaction than the Potions Master would have received prior to their relationship.  
  
Before the brat could formulate an answer, the room was permeated by a few molten tones and Severus turned to see Fawkes sitting on his perch. Apparently the stupid bird took offense to the negative atmosphere in the room. He had to hold back an eye roll when Harry scurried over to pet the phoenix, who gave a soft trill and closed its eyes.  
  
The Headmaster smiled at the sight, then turned to his Potions Professor.  
  
“Severus, I am afraid that we have a tremendously complicated matter on our hands. Did you ever wonder why the Dark Lord didn’t die the night he cast _Avada Kedavra_ on Harry?”  
  
What followed was a horrifying tale about what a creature as obsessed with immortality as Lord Voldemort, would be willing to do to secure his soul from perishing, even as tarnished and shattered as it was. With every additional piece of information Severus’ stomach sank further and further.  
  
Horcruxes!  
  
As in, plural!  
  
Holy Merlin’s beard!  
  
The old coot didn’t give the Potions Master any time to dwell on that horrifying thought before launching into an elaborate game plan, which left both Severus and Harry gaping, mouths working silently. Dumbledore smiled at them.  
  
“Don’t look so overwhelmed, we have already managed to rid the world of one of Lord Voldemort’s horcruxes. We have you, Harry, to thank for that.”  
  
Severus was sure he was as close to gaping as he’d ever been in the presence of others. The boy had already taken out a horcrux? When? How?  
  
For a few seconds the brat looked just as confused as Severus, then his features cleared and he turned a sharp eye towards the Headmaster.  
  
“Riddle’s diary?”  
  
It took the Potions Master a few heart beats to figure out what the boy’s referring to, but eventually remembers the book that was destroyed in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts.  
  
“Indeed, my boy, it contained a piece of his soul and that was what made it able to control Ginevra Weasley.”  
  
The boy suddenly had a fiery gaze fixed upon their mutual mentor and was almost bouncing on the edge of his seat.  
  
“So basilisk venom is able to destroy horcruxes? Should we collect the carcass from the Chamber of Secrets, to use the venom on the other bits of Voldemort’s soul?”  
  
Severus watched as the old wizard’s expression upgraded to full on parental pride.  
  
“Basilisk venom is indeed a substance known to be able to defeat a Horcrux, but there are a few other ways I’ve heard of. I do get around a lot, you know,” Dumbledore chuckled and continued to outline their strategy.  
  
At the end of the discussion it had been made clear that this whole situation would not by any means be easy to handle and that everybody involved would be exposed to grave danger before the end. Harry was quiet and subdued, but determined and never hesitated to agree to his tasks. Severus was secretly impressed, but made sure to keep a tight rein on his facial expressions. He was fairly sure that if the Headmaster suspected him of defiling the Wizarding World’s great Savior, he’d already be bound, awaiting the Dementors.  
  
As he and the brat prepared to leave, Dumbledore got up and reached for that blasted bowl once again.  
  
“Lemon drop?” he offered with a smile that increased the crinkles in the corners of his eyes. Harry gladly accepted and Severus merely glared his best, even if that never seemed to faze the old coot.  
  
“Enjoy the match this afternoon, Harry,” the Headmaster said, beaming at them both. His eyes were twinkling extra bright and it wasn’t until they were halfway down the stairs that Severus realized they had probably been standing way too close in the doorway. Crap!  
  
________________________________________________  
  
That evening Harry snuck down to the dungeons despite the danger of getting caught due to the high level of activity after the afternoon’s Quidditch match. Severus knew that the boy had likely used all of his afternoon on the bleachers under a _Muffliato_ discussing Albus’ plan of action with the rest of the Golden Trio.  
  
At this juncture, the main concern was to discreetly eliminate the horcruxes, and seeing as Dumbledore had a well educated guess as to how many there were, where most of them likely were, and what items the Dark Lord had probably chosen to house his soul fragments.  
  
Given the state of his soul, Dumbledore thought it unlikely that the Dark Lord would feel anything when a horcrux was destroyed, so they’d take care not to draw attention to their endeavor and once all the soul pieces had been disposed of, it would be time for battle.  
  
Dumbledore seemed to be quite certain they would be able to deal with them all before summer arrived, when Voldemort allegedly had an attack planned. Severus knew his master’s mind well enough to know that even though it might be possible to get to all the horcruxes in that time, it would not be without a gruelling level of trials and suffering. He did not like Harry having to go through whatever traps and tricks were waiting, but the brat was annoyingly determined and just as pig-headed as his father before him, so after a few heated discussions following their meeting with the Headmaster, Severus had fled to his potions laboratory to brew. It was the best way for him to calm his nerves and since he was now fond of the boy, he had an interest in not letting his, admittedly foul, temper loose any more than necessary.  
  
Severus had just cleaned his hands and settled into his armchair with a book, when the door to his chamber swung open. Ever since the cooking incident, the damn basilisk had let Harry in without a second glance and whenever he complained about it, the snake feigned sleep and Slytherin himself walked off. It would seem he favored the opinion of his familiar even more than a housemate. Eventually the Potions Master had given up protesting.  
  
Harry walked into the living room and lowered himself onto the couch, sprawling out with a tired expression.  
  
The room was quiet for a few long moments before the boy sighed and looked up at Severus.  
  
“How are we going to do this? When we start hunting horcruxes and readying for battle, there will be people everywhere and it will be even harder hiding our relationship. We will probably not even be able to see each other every day.”  
  
Severus could feel his insides churning. He’d been thinking about this issue a lot during the afternoon’s brewing session and he’d only been able to see one solution; breaking up with the brat. Which really wasn’t something he wished to do, but if the alternative was them being discovered and everything falling apart because of it... well, what choice did they have really?  
  
The Potions Master was determined not to be the cause of another major setback for the side fighting against the Dark Lord, like when he passed on the prophecy, and if that meant putting a stop to his relationship with Harry, at least for a while, well, he would do that. He owed it to Dumbledore, and to Harry himself, to make the right decisions this time around.  
  
Severus took a deep breath and looked straight into those emerald eyes.  
  
“Harry, I’m sorry, but I think we should take a break. It’s too big a risk for us to keep this up and-”  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, the boy shot up from the couch, fire blazing in his eyes and with his hands balled into fists at his sides.  
  
“NO! Severus, no! We are not breaking up because of bloody Voldemort! There will always be reasons to not stay together and we can’t just bow out. I don’t want to lose you; you can’t do this!”  
  
The brat’s eyes were suspiciously bright and Severus had to fight the urge to flee from the room. An angry Harry was bad enough, a crying one... well that would just be icing on the bloody cake, wouldn’t it?  
  
Severus got up and took a step towards the boy, reaching out a hand, “It’s for the best Harry. I’m not saying I don’t care for you anymore or that I don’t want you, but with the circumstances as they are, I think it best if we step back. Temporarily, until all this mess has been sorted.”  
  
The brat retreated a few steps, a wounded expression on his face, avoiding his lover’s touch. Severus could feel his stomach drop and his skin break out in goosebumps. Merlin, how he hated being in this situation.  
  
The air in the room started swirling and churning. He was vaguely aware that the cause had to be Harry’s state of upset, but he couldn’t pull away from the brat’s eyes to do anything about it. They held an agonizing amount of hurt and betrayal, and Severus hated that a part of him was kind of scoffing at that. He was Severus Snape, former Death Eater and evil git, what did the brat expect?  
  
Another part altogether was resigned and tried to butt in, telling Severus that even though he might love the boy, Harry was better off without him anyway and it would be more valuable to use the hurt and anger building to make a clean break now, and thus be able to concentrate fully on the fights he was sure to end up in.  
  
Around Severus, various furniture started vibrating and the tea mugs on the coffee table toppled over, one even crashing to the floor, cracking down the middle.  
  
Harry was starting to shake.  
  
“So, what? You are willing to just throw what we have away because of that lunatic madman with ambitions too big for the whole bloody universe? Are you really that big of a coward, Severus?”  
  
The Potions Master felt a white-hot surge of rage thundering through his veins. How dare the fucking brat? Severus would be the first to admit he’d made a lot of mistakes, you could accuse him of being cruel, sarcastic, cold, and haughty even, but cowardice was _not_ a label he took kindly to. Evidently his face expressed that particular sentiment, seeing as the boy’s hurt look faltered for a second, morphing slightly into something, almost afraid, before settling into a sort of dejected resignation.  
  
Severus’s mind recognized the fact that Harry likely didn’t know exactly how much he’d hurt him, but this was an excellent excuse to put an end to this. It might be unwise to leave their relationship while they were so caught up in hurtful words, if they ever wanted to pick up where they left off, but at the moment, Severus knew he had to get the boy out before he resorted to violent means. His old habits were stubbornly clinging to him, and in situations where he was pushed to the edge, his instincts were still those of one used to defending himself from life threatening attacks with equally mortal counter attacks.  
  
The potions master made an effort to bring his old persona back, and forced a sneer on his face while trying to shove his feelings for the boy to the back of his mind. He could not afford to let himself feel too much. He would be forced to hurt Harry and he knew it would come back to haunt him as soon as the brat was out the door.  
  
“Get out! Out, Potter, I do not wish to see your puerile face in here again, _ever_!”  
  
Despite the fact that they had been arguing even before, Harry looked shell shocked at the venomous tone Severus spewed forth.  
  
“But- Severus, I’m-”  
  
Severus didn’t pause to let the boy speak, he simply waved his hand, non-verbally ejecting Harry forcefully from his chambers and slamming the door shut, locking and warding it.  
  
When the first of Harry’s pleas penetrated the barrier between them, Severus added a silencing charm. The quiet was almost ringing in his ears and he let himself slide down until he was sitting on the floor. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, almost painfully so, and his breath was hitching, his lungs burning. Pushing the brat away had hurt even more than he thought it would.  
  
Severus remained sitting on his floor for over an hour before he slowly climbed to his feet and retreated to his laboratory, where he immersed himself in brewing the most complicated potions he could find, to try and keep his focus away from the green eyes that kept popping up in his field of vision, brimming with betrayal and hurt.  
  
It was only due to the fact that Severus was such a competent brewer that he managed to produce usable potions at all.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
Over the following weeks, Severus saw very little of Harry, mostly because he tended to avoid the boy whenever possible. In class, he tended to ignore the brat completely, to the consternation of all the Slytherins, who looked forward to some Harry-baiting while in potions class. However, Severus simply couldn’t do it, so he settled for scowling and ignoring. That would have to do.  
  
Whenever the Potions Master showed his face at mealtimes, the boy looked the same as always and Severus concluded that the break-up hadn’t affected him too badly then. The brat hadn’t tried to contact Severus again after being ignored outside the door to his teacher’s chambers either and therefore it came as a shock when he overheard Harry’s faithful henchmen talking, while scouring the library for an old text on defensive use of potions. Though, seriously, did they think the kingdom of Madam Pince to be the best place for private conversations? Idiots!  
  
Weasley’s voice was rising in desperation as Severus passed by on the other side of the bookshelves. He didn’t actually want to hear anything about Harry right at the moment, but the tone made him pause and listen.  
  
“He didn’t want to talk to you either? What are we going to do, Hermione? It’s not like we can force him up to Madam Pomfrey when he’s eating and doing his homework and going to classes as usual,” Weasley said, frustration clear in his voice.  
  
“I don’t know, Ron! It’s like he’s just suddenly lost all his spark. It’s like dealing with a bloody robot half the time!”  
  
“Uh...” is Weasley’s intelligent reply. Granger sighs heavily.  
  
“A robot, Ron, a remote controlled human-like machine. I’m just saying it feels like he’s just gone dead inside. It really scares me and I don’t know what to do to make him snap out of it. He won’t talk to anyone,” she sounded close to tears at this point, and Severus was feeling very uneasy.  
  
Was this his doing? Had the break-up affected Harry a lot more than it had seemed like?  
  
On the other side of the shelf, Weasley piped up again, “Perhaps his secret girlfriend broke up with him? That could be it.”  
  
“Well, yes, obviously that would explain a lot of it. Though, if this is his reaction to a break up, they must have been very close. He wouldn’t react this badly, for this long, without, you know, loving her,” Granger whispered, her voice a mix between hopeful and pitying.  
  
Weasley uttered some strangled noises, but didn’t seem to be able to find his words.  
  
“Oh, don’t give me that look, Ronald! Harry deserves some love in his life for once. You promise me that if he ever comes to you wanting to talk about this, you listen and be nice! If I catch so much as a whiff that you attempted to handle something like that with your usual... _charm_ , I will make that slug vomiting incident seem like a leisurely walk in the park, you hear me?”, she snapped and evidently there was some vigorous nodding, because after a short moment her voice came back, smug, “Good! Now let’s find that book we need for the astronomy homework.”  
  
When they started sorting through the shelved books, Severus snuck off to the Potions section in search of his own book. His mind was spinning though, and he couldn’t get the image of a emotionless Harry out of his head, even when he was back in his chambers, reading in front of the fire. In the end he went to bed aided by a small dose of Dreamless Sleep potion to make sure he got his rest.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
Severus was kept informed on the progress of the horcrux hunting by Dumbledore, who had been giving the Potions Master increasingly weird looks as the weeks had passed.  
  
Harry, as well as Remus Lupin, had been with Dumbledore on his trips and they had managed to eliminate two additional soul pieces by the time Christmas rolled around. From what the Headmaster had told him, they all ended up in the infirmary after their first adventure, but it was nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn’t set to rights within a night. The second time, only Harry and Lupin got hurt, apparently a spell had been activated, attacking with something very akin to Severus’ own _Sectumsempra_ curse. Luckily, Pomfrey had immediately gone to the Potions Master for help, since this was spell work he was familiar with as a Death Eater, and he had told her how to handle it. Neither Harry nor Lupin suffered any long term damage, apart from a few stubborn scars.  
  
As far as Severus could tell, Harry was still keeping up with his education and he seemed his usual self in the Great Hall at meals, but if Severus was to believe his two best friends, it was all a front he’d put up, probably in order not to worry anyone.  
  
Severus’ heart clenched for the boy, and his absence in the Potions Master’s everyday life felt like a big, aching void. The only reason he had not sent for the brat was the fact that he really was better off without his grumpy old teacher. Unless he wasn’t actually better, which Granger and Weasley’s conversation seemed to suggest.  
  
In order to keep himself in check, Severus filled his days with brewing, this was the season for flus and colds after all, and the infirmary would need plenty of Pepper-Up potions and some fever reducers as well.  
  
The Potions Master kept working, hardly emerging from the dungeons at all, until one day, a week prior to Christmas Eve. Most of the brats were going home for the holidays, but Harry was staying as well as Ron and Ginny Weasley, whose parents were going to Romania. Severus was kind of relieved that he now had an excuse to stay in his chambers all day, not even needing to go out to teach, but he had a big load of potions which had to be delivered to the hospital wing, and so Severus found himself trekking the familiar route, his arms laden with bottles and vials.  
  
By sheer luck, the infirmary was empty when he got there, so he just left the potions in Madam Pomfrey’s office and headed back towards his chambers. He didn’t get far though, before being intercepted by a singing Dumbledore. Good, just what he needed; muggle christmas carols rendered by the Wizarding World’s craziest old coot!  
  
“. _..and the weather outside is frightful-_ Why hello, Severus, my dear boy! Could I persuade you to join me in my office for a little tea and perhaps some gingerbread cookies?”  
  
Severus tried backing away slowly while making a face that was supposed to convey that no, he couldn’t be persuaded, but naturally Dumbledore just wrapped an arm around the Potions Master’s shoulders - how typical, only the Headmaster would expect to be able to do that without losing a limb or two - and steered him towards the winding stairs.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
Severus was just chewing a reindeer shaped gingerbread cookie, when Dumbledore said, _far_ too casually, “So, are you getting Harry a Christmas present or are you still pretending you don’t care, hmm?”  
  
There was an impressive explosion of gingerbread crumbs all over the Headmaster’s previously pristine desk, and Severus coughed for a full two minutes.  
  
“Excuse me, Albus?” he forced out in the end, blinking furiously.  
  
Dumbledore merely beamed - stupid old goat - and offered Severus a new cookie.  
  
“Well, I must say I was surprised to find out that you two had grown quite so close, but you both seemed to be happy with it, so I saw no reason to interfere as long as you kept it all behind closed doors. I was sad when I learned how you handled the argument between you and young Harry, though.”  
  
Severus was sputtering and flailing slightly, which he never _ever_ did, and he couldn’t really make it all fit.  
  
“You knew, Albus? How? When? Why didn’t you show up and subject me to one of those day-long lectures of yours?”  
  
He didn’t really know if he should be thankful or angry that the Headmaster had seen what practically amounted to statutory rape, happening right under his nose and done nothing about it. Obviously the old wizard knew enough about their relationship to be aware that Harry was the initiator and that they’d been serious. Otherwise Severus was fairly sure he’d have been transformed into a part of a very nice coat rack presently.  
  
“Why, Severus, you didn’t expect you could manage to keep a secret like that from me in this place? Though, I must say I was quite surprised when Salazar Slytherin himself popped up in Phinneus’ painting to rat you out. Apparently, he got concerned for your mental health.”  
  
Damn talkative portrait! Severus would have to have a few words with the founder of Slytherin House in the near future.  
  
“I am fine, Albus, and I would appreciate you keeping your nose to yourself, unless you plan to stage an intervention?” Severus sneered the last bit, which was a bit difficult with gingerbread breath. It just didn’t seem very convincing.  
  
The old wizard merely chuckled and shook his head in fond exasperation.  
  
“No, my dear boy. I will let you handle this one on your own, but I feel like I should say that Harry’s depressingly quiet demeanor the last few months has had me concerned. Perhaps if you talked to him again and tried to explain your reasoning for putting an end to your relationship, he would feel better?”  
  
When Severus stayed silent, only glaring at the Headmaster, he eventually sighed and continued, “I understand and support your reasons for breaking it off with Harry, but my understanding was that you wished for it to be temporary, in case you both make it in one piece to the other side of our war with Voldemort. If you still wish for that, maybe you should do something about it before fate takes it out of your hands.”  
  
Dumbledore directed his piercing gaze upon Severus. The Potions Master felt like squirming in his seat, but that wouldn’t be appropriate for a Death Eater, no matter that he wasn’t actually one any longer, and that he had never shown unease near more powerful wizards, good or bad, and he wasn’t about to start now.  
  
“Is that all, Headmaster? I have some potions to attend to,” he drawled in his haughtiest tone, while rising from the comfy armchair, brushing gingerbread crumbs off his robes.  
  
“Yes, that is all, Severus. I hope to see you at dinner tonight in the Great Hall.”  
  
Severus snorted and offered a curt, “We shall see.”  
  
Dumbledore settled another of those penetrating stares on him and raised an eyebrow.  
  
“At least make sure you are present for the Christmas Eve dinner on Saturday, Severus.”  
  
Wow! Manipulation thy name is Dumbledore. Severus settled for a jerky nod in answer and then he fled Dumbledore’s office and hastened to his chambers, his mind in uproar.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
The snow was falling heavily in thick flakes outside the window of the owlery, where Severus was debating with himself. He held a neatly wrapped present in his hands, containing a necklace in plain silver with a pendant of emerald, imbued with all the protective spells known to wizard kind. At least the useful ones.  
  
He had gone to Hogsmeade in disguise to buy this after his talk with Dumbledore, and ever since then, he had been cursing at himself for being so utterly foolish. It wasn’t like the boy would just come running back to him because of a single present and even if he _did_ , the situation was still the same; he’d have to send Harry away again.  
  
For some reason though, Severus really wanted Harry to get his gift, and in any case, it’d help him on his mission with the Headmaster. So he called the white owl perching high in the tower and she landed elegantly on his arm, giving him a reproachful glare for interrupting her rest. Severus produced an owl treat from his pocket and offered it to the animal, which seemed to placate her. When the present was tied to her leg, he petted her soft feathers and mumbled to her quietly.  
  
“Take this to Harry and be sure he’s alone when you deliver it. It’s a very valuable package you’re carrying, so be careful.”  
  
The owl looked at him as though he was nothing short of stupid, and took off out into the snow with her cargo.  
  
Severus wondered what Harry would think about his present, if he would realize who it was from - Severus hadn’t put a note in to prevent snooping friends from discovering the sender - and just chuck it out the window, or if he would accept it as the helping hand it was supposed to be, and wear it.  
  
With a deep sigh, Severus turned around and walked back to his chambers in order to prepare for that evening’s Christmas dinner in the Great Hall. No way was he getting out of that when the old coot was still in the castle, regrettably.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
Harry and the Weasleys were the last to arrive at the single table they were all going to share that evening. The elves had overdone themselves, decorations aplenty, glitter and christmas hearts and candy canes everywhere all illuminated by double the normal amount of floating candles. Severus was tempted to vomit, just to show his opinion of this exaggerated sweetness, but managed to contain his grimacing.  
  
Well, at least until Harry sat down with Ron at the opposite side of the table.  
  
Harry was wearing a too tight shirt with open collar, which provided a prime view of the emerald pendant resting on his skin, glowing softly green in the candlelight. Severus’ throat constricted and he had to swallow several times in order to be able to get air into his lungs. Why the sight of the brat wearing his gift affected him so, he couldn’t say, but affect him it did. His heart was beating too fast and there was a rushing sound in his ears.  
  
The boy talked to Dumbledore and McGonagall, before launching into a lengthy debate on Quidditch with Weasley and Hooch, but all Severus saw was the necklace and in the end, he excused himself and ran off out the back door, using all the shortcuts he knew to get to his chambers without meeting anyone.  
  
He had just settled in his armchair with a nice whiskey when a knocking sounded. Severus got up and marched to the door, convinced that it was Dumbledore coming to scold him for fleeing from the merry cheer in the Great Hall, but when he threw the door open, a sarcastic quip on the ready, it revealed a stone-faced Harry Potter.  
  
“Hi, Professor Snape, can I talk to you for a moment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed and I'd be **so** happy if you would leave kudos/a review :) Thanks...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the (enormous) delay. Here's the last regular chapter, the next one will be the epilogue...
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.
> 
> **Warnings:** Slash as usual, some light bondage and graphic sexual content.

**Chapter 7**

 

Severus’ heart was in his throat and no amount of swallowing seemed to make it relocate to its usual spot. Harry was still standing in the door with an eerie, blank expression.

 

Gathering all his considerable courage, the Potions Master opened the door fully and let the boy pass into his chambers.

 

The brat walked over to the couch and then whirled around, his face now showing a strange mix of anger and hope and his hand clenched around the necklace which had been Severus’ gift to him.

 

“What is this supposed to mean?” Harry asked fairly calmly, but with a slightly shaking voice.

 

“Are you not familiar with the concept of a Christmas gift?” he sneered in answer, not willing to revert to calling the boy Potter now they were finally speaking again, sort of.

 

The brat merely shook his head, keeping a steely gaze focused on his teacher.

 

“You know what I mean, Severus! What is this?” he repeated.

 

The Potions Master wasn’t really sure how to answer in order not to anger or upset Harry, but he took a deep breath and tried his best.

 

“Well, I know you didn’t quite approve of my idea of taking a step back from our relationship, but it doesn’t mean I stopped... caring about you, simply because we had a fight. That necklace is imbued with as many protective spells as possible and I thought it likely you’d need it, what with your current adventures.”

 

The boy looked hesitant, but eventually some of the anger on his features mellowed.

 

“You really were just talking about a temporary break?”

 

Severus almost rolled his eyes.

 

“Of course I was! Have I ever actually lied to you, Harry?”

 

He could see the brat’s throat work as he swallowed. The green eyes averted to the floor.

“No.”

The Potions Master couldn’t help the smirk then. If he had just been able to prompt this kind of submission from the boy in Potions class his life would have been so much easier. Ah well, wishful thinking.

 

“Harry,” He said, causing the green eyes to travel back up and lock on Severus’ dark ones, “I did mean for it to be temporary; however, we can’t know how all this will end. It could very well end with both of us losing our lives in the battle against Voldemort, but I know for me, it’d be a colossal relief, knowing you’ll be there to greet me, should I emerge from the war relatively unscathed. It’s your decision, though,” he finished, waiting calmly and collectedly. He’d had a lot of time to think and he was over the juvenile panic reaction which had initially occurred at the prospect of life without the boy.

 

Silence reigned for a few moments before a tentative smile dawned on Harry’s face. A spark of hope ignited in the Potions Master’s chest and he held his breath in anticipation.

 

The brat cleared his throat.

 

“I uh... I want to stay with you, but I understand why you need us to take a break, it’s just... I don’t like it, alright?”

 

Severus nodded and Harry took a single step forward, looking hesitant, but eager.

 

“Um, I know we have to pause our relationship, but could we... I mean, it’ll be a long time, um...”

 

The boy cut off with a cringe, and Severus almost chuckled at the less than eloquent attempt to communicate. He had a good idea what Harry was talking about though, and he couldn’t help the anticipatory shiver that ran down his spine.

 

“Yes, we can,” the Potions Master croaked, his voice already affected by the change in mood.

 

As if on an audible signal, they both surged forward a few paces, stopping with a few feet still between them. In the past they had always been passionate, fiery, almost violent in their encounters, but now it seemed like they were more timid in their approach.

 

The boy reached out a tentative hand and placed it on Severus’ chest, above his heart. The Potions Master bent down to brush his lips softly over Harry’s and encircled the boy in his arms. It had been entirely too long since they’d been close and even though he wasn’t keen on admitting it, he’d missed the embraces and caresses more than he’d thought he would.

 

Harry dragged Severus into his bedroom and slowly began peeling all of his clothes off, piece by piece. The Potions Master merely watched the boy as he worked, noticing the intense scrutiny he bestowed upon his teacher’s body, like he was comparing all the blemishes on Severus’ body to those in his memory. As if checking whether any new ones had appeared or perhaps just to reassure himself this was really happening.

 

When the Potions Master was standing naked, with Harry’s hands on his waist, the boy reached up for another kiss and then pushed Severus back, making him fall down onto the bed, bouncing slightly on top of the covers. Neither said a word as Harry removed his own robes and underwear, climbing in and straddling his teacher’s waist. The boy lowered his body over Severus’ and for a few long minutes, they just kissed and enjoyed the closeness.

 

The mood shifted, however, when Harry snuck a hand between them and grabbed the Potions Master’s stiffening cock, jerking him slowly and sensually. Severus arched his back, pushing up into the boy’s lithe body, causing him to grind his own erection into the dip of his teacher’s hip with a deeply felt moan. Harry leaned down to share some open-mouthed, filthy kisses before levering himself up, sitting back on his haunches. He then reached a hand behind him and gripped Severus’ throbbing dick around the base, positioning it at his unstretched entrance, sinking down until the head of the Potions Master’s cock slid past the tight ring of muscle.

 

Severus watched riveted as Harry’s face scrunched up in a blend of pain and pleasure, groans and gasps spilling from his kiss-bruised lips.

 

As his arse cheeks came to rest on the Potions Master’s hips, the brat exhaled loudly.

 

“Oh Merlin, I missed this!” he exclaimed.

 

Severus tried to restrain the smirk, but didn’t quite manage. Harry just shot him the characteristic crooked smile, which never failed to make his stomach swoop and, depending on the situation, his dick jump.

 

With a moan and a roll of his pelvis, the boy started riding the Potions Master’s cock eagerly, his head thrown back and mouth slack in enjoyment. The tempo remained leisurely for a handful of minutes until Severus couldn’t take anymore slow torture. He grabbed Harry’s waist and lifted him slightly, gaining room to thrust up into the boy’s arse with swift, deep strokes.

 

Within seconds they were both moaning and cursing, the sound of flesh against flesh reverberating in the room with each of the Potions Master’s forceful poundings. The boy braced his hands against Severus’ chest and whenever a particularly good spot was hit, his nails dug in, leaving red indentations on the Potions Master’s pale, scarred skin. Normally the brat was so submissive, though still keeping his spark, but in this instance he seemed like he needed to give a push whenever his teacher shoved. Severus thought it might have something to do with him needing to confirm this was really happening and the Potions Master wouldn’t just drop him off the edge of the mattress and scurry away.

 

He tightened his grip on the boy’s hips and bucked up really deep, nailing the spot he knew would make Harry shudder with pleasure. The frantic mood wasn’t lessening and Severus reached for the boy’s erection to jerk him with swift movements. It took only a few short minutes for Harry to cry out, his body seizing up and his cock erupting, shooting long ropes of come across Severus’ chest and stomach.

 

Once the aftershocks had worn off, the Potions Master flipped them over, so the boy was below him, his bliss slackened body lying pliant in the sheets. Severus hooked his elbows under the brat’s knees and pulled them up, settling himself and pushing in again, enjoying the hitch in Harry’s breath. The boy was always so sensitive if the Potions Master entered him again right after orgasm and he might have been taking advantage of the fact a little bit now. His own cock still steel hard and throbbing, he lunged his hips forward, ramming in as hard as he could with a drawn out moan. God, the boy was still so tight!

 

Moving in hurried and fervent motions, it was only a few minutes before Severus’ body convulsed and he shot his load deep in Harry’s arse, cursing loudly. He slumped down on top of the boy, so gone in the pleasure waves crashing through his body, he couldn’t even care about the mess of come being smeared between them.

 

“Wow,” the brat breathed, his hands running up and down the Potions Master’s back in long caresses.

 

Severus could only hum in agreement as his eyelids became heavier and heavier, his mind already going fuzzy around the edges.

 

“Goodnight, Severus,” Harry said softly, and it was the last thing he heard before he drifted off to sleep.

 

________________________________________________

When Severus woke up in the morning, the boy was gone, his indentation still visible in the sheets and his side of the bed barely cold. For a second the Potions Master’s insides turned cold and his stomach dropped horribly, but then he spotted a note placed on the pillow beside him. He summoned it nonverbally and smiled at the familiar chicken-scratch scrawl on the parchment.

 

_Good morning, Severus. I had to get up to the Tower before Ron and Hermione could get suspicious and you were sleeping deeply so I didn’t want to wake you up. We do need to talk, though. You can send a note with time and place, using the house elf Dobby. He is reliable._

 

_Yours,_

_Harry._

 

Severus rolled out of bed and ambled into his living room. He went to fetch parchment, ink and quill before settling on the couch to formulate a reply. He had a free afternoon the next day and he could take the time to meet with the boy then. Perhaps he should request they meet outside of his chambers seeing as the Headmaster apparently got his information from the portraits; even the ones supposedly loyal to Slytherins only.

 

In the end, he asked Harry to meet him in a small garden out back, which could easily be concealed from curious eyes. If the boy went there under his invisibility cloak and Severus made sure to cast the appropriate charms on the perimeter, it ought to be safe.

 

When he snapped his fingers, summoning the elf by the name of Dobby, his ears were met with a terrified squeal and the sight of a pitiful creature, trembling impressively on his floor. As soon as he mentioned Harry’s name though, the elf straightened up and his eyes shone with adoration.

 

“Can Dobby be helping Harry Potter, Sir?”

 

Seeing as the brat obviously was quite fond of the quivering elf, hidden under too many layers of knitted hats and mismatched socks, Severus contained his acidic response and merely held out the letter.

“Make sure you give this to Mister Potter, and be discreet! Nobody can see you, do you understand?”

The elf nodded so vigorously a couple of hats tipped off his head and he immediately whimpered and hastily picked the fallen items up, crushing them to his thin chest.

 

“Dobby will not disappoint Master Snape,” the creature squeaked and then vanished with a _pop_.

 

Severus sighed and proceeded to search for a place to hide the note from Harry, after using a concealment charm on the parchment to keep the message from being visible to prying eyes. He settled on the bookcase in the end. His collection of books was quite daunting and anyone who wanted to go through them all, would have an enormous task ahead of them. While perusing the selection, he stumbled upon an old book of binding spells and bonding ceremonies. He picked it up and brought it with him for a read through after placing the note in the pages of an old, musty tome containing outdated, but still useful, healing potions.

 

________________________________________________

 

It’s mid-afternoon before the Potions Master resurfaced from his reading with a very determined look on his face. He’d found what he wanted and now it was just a matter of researching a few of the spells to make sure it would be undetectable. This would surely be a way to show Harry how serious he is and how much the boy means to him.

 

Severus set off determinedly, soon finding himself all but buried in scrolls and books, fingers stained with ink instead of potions ingredients from taking notes.

 

When evening arrived, he hadn’t heard from the brat and neither had the odd elf made another appearance, which caused the Potions Master to stomp towards the Great Hall, silently fuming at his own stupidity for trusting the foul creature. Inevitably, he would find out the stupid elf had delivered the letter to another teacher and he would be in for a good stealth attack around the next corner. He was in no doubt that he’d have known by now if the letter had made it to a student apart from Harry. They were all horrible little gossips and even though Severus had made sure not to reveal his own or the boy’s identity in the message, most of the little dimwits had seen his handwriting. The possibility of someone identifying the Potions Master from his script was entirely conceivable.

He made it into the Great Hall and to his seat without being accosted though, and when he snuck a quick glance at the Gryffindor table, there was a set of green eyes fixed on him. Harry’s eyes swept his surroundings surreptitiously to check for observers before returning to Severus. Then, he nodded once, quick and short, and averted his eyes to his plate, grabbing a ladle to pour stew.

 

Even though he was trying his hardest not to be too soft, the Potions Master still felt a warmth spread in his chest and a slightly swooping feeling in his stomach. God, he was turning into such a sap! If he wanted to avoid further loss of dignity at this point, he ought to go poke a Devil’s Snare. If he was dead he wouldn’t be able to show his previously undetected soft side. He knew he wasn’t going to, though. He needed the damn brat too much!

  
________________________________________________

 

 

Ten minutes prior to the time they had agreed to meet, Severus was standing in the shadows below a birch tree in the garden, which had originally been founded by Helga Hufflepuff. It was rarely used for anything and had been allowed to grow a little wild. Trees and shrubs were spreading unrestrained and it was the perfect place to have a private meeting like this.

 

A buzzing from his wand alerted the Potions Master to the fact that he was no longer alone. Harry was walking cautiously through the arch entrance, wand in his hand and eyes sharp, sweeping the area. Severus approved of the vigilance, but none of them needed any further stress, so he immediately made himself known.

 

“Hello Harry,” he said, stepping out from the shadows. A quick flick of his wand completed the wards around the garden and ensured them privacy.

 

The boy smiled and marched straight over to Severus, leaning up for a kiss, which the Potions Master granted gladly.

 

“Shall we?” Severus inquired, waving a hand at a half hidden bench under a beech tree. The boy nodded and once they were both seated, the Potions Master dug a book out of his pocket, opening it and handed it to Harry. The brat gave him a questioning glance, but then directed his attention to the pages. It took only a few moments for his eyes to go wide and a shocked gasp to escape.

 

“Severus! This... this is a bonding spell!”

 

The Potions Master arched an eyebrow and replied with fake surprise, “Why, yes, it is indeed, Mister Potter. Stunning observational abilities!”

Harry gave him a glare and returned to the book, reading the description and instructions before looking up again.

 

“Um, is this your way of asking me to bond with you?” the brat asked, seemingly prepared for a sharp retort and readying himself for a quick backtracking. Severus managed to contain the smirk.

“Well... it seemed to me like you were in doubt as to whether or not I actually wanted to remain in a relationship with you, so I thought this would be a way to show you how serious I am,” the Potions Master drawled. “Now, don’t expect me to get down on one knee or something else equally as sappy. I detest sentimentality! If you require time to think this over, we can revisit this spot in a few days time.”

 

The brat’s eyes were jumping back and forth between Severus’ face and the pages of the book with dizzying speed for a few long seconds, before the boy dumped the book and launched himself at his teacher. Severus ‘ _oomph’_ ed as he received a knee to his kidneys, but he couldn’t really make himself care, seeing as Harry had proceeded to hug the life out of him, yelling _“Yes, yes, yes!”_ in his ear.

 

A warm sensation swirled in his stomach, spreading out until his whole body was hot and tingling, his stomach swooping, and he felt an increasingly powerful urge to both laugh and cry. Severus realized this had to be what true, undiluted joy felt like. He quite liked it, if he was to be honest.

 

Harry was in the process of kissing every bit of skin he could reach and the Potions Master just held him close and returned any kisses that landed on or near his lips.

 

When the boy calmed down, he reluctantly relocated back to the bench, but he kept a hand on Severus’ thigh.

 

The Potions Master cleared his throat and started to explain, “The reason why I suggested this particular bonding spell, is the fact it remains untraceable, which will prevent both the Dark Lord or any of his followers from sensing anything is different about either of us. I also believe this is the exact spell your parents used for their union.”

 

Silence reigned for a while, until the boy sniffled softly and smiled at Severus.

 

“Well, then that’s the one we will use,” he replied, squeezing the Potions Master’s leg.

 

Severus sighed and averted his eyes, not keeping eye contact with Harry.

“There is one issue we will need to discuss regarding this particular spell, Harry. As proof of the bonding, a mark will appear on each of us. We cannot choose the design, nor can we avoid getting it. This brings to mind the Dark Lord’s chosen method of controlling and keeping track of his minions and we need to both be clear on whether we can accept this mark. I do not care, a mark from a bonding will not bother me. Rather, it would serve to remind us of the fact we are never alone.”

 

The boy was looking at him with narrowed eyes and a thoughtful expression.

 

“What happens if someone sees the mark?”

 

“This mark is possible to hide temporarily with a concealment charm, so that shouldn’t be a problem,” the Potions Master replied.

 

After a couple of contemplative minutes, Harry gave him a grin and an “Alright!” before once again jumping on Severus.

 

As it turned out, a bench is not very comfortable to have sex on, but they managed with a few well timed cushioning charms.

 

________________________________________________

 

In the weeks following their meeting in the garden, they used the house elf Dobby as a means of communication and he proved to be just as trustworthy as the brat had told Severus. Without trouble, he carried letters between them and they managed to set up a date for the bonding and decided the appropriate location would be the Room of Requirement. Harry had suggested this and the Potions Master had initially scoffed at the idea, but a midnight excursion to said room had persuaded him otherwise. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t known that such an - extremely useful - room existed within Hogwarts.

 

Sometimes, often late at night, Severus had brief attacks of nerves. A bonding is a big deal, and he’d just never imagined himself as one of those _happily ever after_ people. Deep down, he was afraid of not being able to commit to it fully, and in order for the damn spell to work, both parties have to be truly in love with each other. Any ill intent or attempts to fake it and trick the magic would be caught immediately, and the bonding mark would not show.

 

He’d been wearing the mask of the evil, surly Potions Master for so long, he was doubting whether he’d be able to shed it completely. Not that his true personality isn’t somewhat grumpy and short tempered, but in truth he had cranked it up a bit in order to fit in with the Death Eaters as a spy.

Most times, he could stop those thoughts by reminding himself that he’d been involved with the brat for a long time already and apart from the misunderstanding with the temporary break up, it’d been quite smooth between them.

 

Deep, deep down, he did love the bloody brat.

 

________________________________________________

 

As Severus uttered the last words of the spell, a surge of magic permeated the air of the room, making all his hair stand on end and shivers work up his spine. From Harry’s expression it would seem like he had a similar experience. Even though there was no visible colors or shapes, it still felt like swirling ropes were encasing them both and pushing them together, forming a tangible connection between them.

 

Like an echo, the Potions Master saw quick glimpses of Harry’s life so far, flashing in his mind. A green light and a woman screaming, a boy locked in a dark cupboard, Harry flying on a broom for the first time, various scenes from life at Hogwarts, a giant serpent emerging from the mouth of Salazar Slytherin’s statue and a sharp pain and the Dark Lord’s grating, garbled laugh. In the end, he saw several memories involving himself and the feeling of devotion and love that filled his chest wasn’t solely his own.

 

He realized he’d closed his eyes and snapped them open to see Harry looking at him with wide eyes, a flush high on his cheeks. For a second Severus panicked. He hadn’t known the spell would cause this and seeing as he had just witnessed a long row of the brat’s memories, it was safe to assume the same had happened to Harry. He’d seen flashes of the Potion Master’s life, and he knew it couldn’t have been pretty.

 

The boy looked at him with the same calm, fond gaze he often bestowed upon Severus these days. In truth, he probably knew most of what his lover had been forced to do in the service of Voldemort, but seeing it always makes it more real.

 

After a few moments, Harry gave a tentative smile and the knot of tension in the Potions Master’s stomach immediately dissolved. Just then, a surge of heat went through both their bodies, causing him to clench his teeth and the brat to gasp in surprise.

When the spell released them with what felt like a physical push and a low, otherworldly chime, Severus stepped forward and drew the boy into his arms, kissing him. He had been a little nervous about how he’d feel after the bonding was done, but honestly, he felt possibly the closest to happiness he’d ever been.

 

“Now what?” the brat asked.

“Now we wait,” Severus responded, “If the bonding was successful, marks will appear on both of us by tomorrow morning. Apart from cementing our relationship, this bond will allow us to feel if the other is getting hurt. I made sure to specify that we do not wish for the alert to manifest as pain, seeing as we are more than likely to get hurt in the battle against the Dark Lord. It is merely supposed to let us know when our partner may require assistance, should it be possible for the other part to help out.”

Harry nodded and tugged his head under his lover’s chin, breathing on the soft skin of Severus’ neck.

“So, how will we _ever_ manage to pass the time?” the brat sighed in an overly dramatic way, hiding a smirk against the Potions Master’s chest. Perhaps it would have been more convincing, had the room not instantly latched on to the boy’s wicked thoughts and produced a king size bed, complete with fluffy pillows and covers, at least ten types of lube and even a sturdy looking pair of handcuffs. Severus arched an eyebrow and gave a pointed look between Harry and the newly materialized arrangement. The brat merely smirked and failed to look innocent.

 

“It would seem your subconscious has a suggestion, Mister Potter,” Severus drawled with fake nonchalance.

 

“Well, it has the right idea, don’t you think?” the boy asked with a crooked grin.

 

Severus rolled his eyes, but towed Harry along to the bed anyway, willfully ignoring the low chuckle the brat tried to muffle behind him. He pushed the boy onto the bed, face down and climbed in, lying down so his body was covering Harry’s. A quick nonverbal banishment charm had them both naked and the Potions Master moaned quietly when his swiftly growing erection slotted into the groove between the boy’s arse cheeks. He grabbed the brat’s arms and pulled them above his head, grinding his hips down, making his cock slide along the soft skin. He kissed the spot behind Harry’s ear and bit his earlobe.

“Is there any specific reason why the room produced a pair of muggle restraints?” Severus inquired, summoning the handcuffs so they were dangling in the air beside the boy’s head.

 

“No! I... well, I liked it when you tied me up that time, so I guess that’s where the idea came from. If you don’t like it, we can just-”

 

Severus cut the brat off with a sharp bite to his neck, simultaneously snapping one of the cuffs around the boy’s wrist and running it through a hoop in the bed frame before clasping the second one on Harry’s other wrist. The brat moaned when his arms were stretched and the strain tugged at his shoulders. The Potions Master made a mental note to explore this further at a later date. Who knew the Gryffindor Golden Boy would turn out to be so deliciously kinky?

 

Drawing back slightly, Severus grabbed a random packet of lube from the bed and ripped it open, pouring lube into his hand. He knew Harry preferred a bit of rough treatment so he braced a firm palm on the boy’s back and forcefully pushed two fingers in, revelling in the outcry it produced. He only pumped in and out a few times before slicking up his cock and settling himself, straddling the brat’s thighs. It wouldn’t be an easy entry with Harry’s legs still pressed together and his hole not properly stretched, but experience has shown Severus, this is what they both like best. Even though this is their bonding night and society would dictate they ought to be sweet and romantic, well, who the hell were they kidding? A scarred boy and an ex-Death Eater isn’t exactly following the norm in the first place.

 

With a grunt and a harsh grip on Harry’s nape, Severus lined up and bucked his hips forward. The brat groaned and bit into a pillow, his arms flexing and trembling, but still pushing back into the intrusion, making his lover’s erection settle deep in his arse. The Potions Master cursed and stilled, the pressure simply too much, and merely breathed for a few moments.

 

Harry soon started squirming, “Come on, Severus, move dammit!”

 

With an animalistic growl, Severus pulled back and punched forward, making the bed creak ominously. The boy cried out and did his best to urge his lover on, writhing as best he could while restrained, moaning and muttering a constant stream of _‘Oh Merlin!’_ and ‘ _Fuck me, come on, harder!’_.

 

Aside from the usual wild, passionate atmosphere, there was something new, something _more_ , this time. A warm sort of tingling at the periphery of his awareness. Severus could feel it all building, like pressure in a volcano about to erupt, and as he shoved into the boy with deep, bordering on violent, thrusts. The whole bed is rocking with their movements and the Potions Master really hopes the room is soundproof, which, when he wished for it, it probably became, so he allowed himself to let go, panting and moaning.

 

When Severus could feel the tell-tale tightening in his groin, the brat suddenly whimpered and squirmed under him.

 

“Severus, I need... I can’t...” Harry whined, tugging at the handcuffs. The Potions Master understood immediately and performed a quick spell to release the boy’s wrists. The cuffs popped open and the brat’s arms flopped down onto the mattress. He groaned and flexed his fingers, bracing his hands against the bed to push up into his lover’s body. Severus hurriedly shoved a hand between them to grip Harry’s leaking, throbbing cock and jerk it roughly. After merely a handful of harsh tugs, the brat screamed, his body convulsing, and shot long, white ropes of come onto the sheets beneath them.

The sensation of the boy’s body tightening around him, turned out to be the last straw for Severus, and he gave a shout, thrusting one last time and holding himself as deep inside Harry’s arse as he could, shuddering through his own orgasm. When his body finally relaxed, he slumped down onto the boy and they stayed like that, breathing heavily for a long time. When Severus eventually pulled out and rolled off to the side, he kept a hand on the brat’s back to keep him still. Harry made an inquisitive sound, his face mashed into a pillow, but the Potions Master only shushed him and leaned down to grab his buttocks and spread them wide. The boy squeaked in surprise at that, but made no protest, so Severus continued to stare riveted at the puffy, pink pucker, where his own come was slowly trickling out, rolling in fat trails down over Harry’s balls and softening cock, into the covers. His dick gave a feeble twitch at the sight.

 

“Wow,” the brat mumbled, still dazed from his orgasm. “That was bloody fantastic!”

 

“Mhmm,” Severus agreed, crawling back up to give Harry a kiss and settle down into the soft pillows. Silence only lasted for a few minutes when all of sudden, the brat sat up and his face scrunched up.

 

“Ew, this bed is totally disgusting right now.”

 

“So clean it,” the Potions Master drawled from his spot on the side of the bed which had remained unblemished by their activities.

 

The boy scowled at him, but flicked his hand, muttering a low _Tergeo_ , causing the come, sweat and lube to be cleaned from the sheets. Severus had a moment to be proud of the effortless wandless spell before Harry plopped down, almost elbowing him in the stomach, and snuggled up close.

In a matter of minutes, they had both drifted off to sleep.

 

For once, neither had any nightmares.

 

________________________________________________

 

A sharp, high pitched squeak was what woke Severus up the next morning. In a flash, he was out of bed, with his wand at the ready, eyes searching the room. Harry was equally alert beside him.

 

“I’m sorry, Harry Potter, Sir,” a timid voice said from behind the bedside table. A pair of large ears were visible above the edge.

 

“Dobby?” the brat asked incredulously. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Dumbledore asked Dobby to fetch Harry Potter. He has found another horcrux, he says, Sir. You is to be meeting him in his office in half an hour.”

 

With that, the creature shot one frightened glance at the Potions Master before vanishing with a _pop_. It was then he remembered he was standing totally naked and he just hoped the elf wouldn’t be spreading stories.

Harry sighed and cleared his throat, “So, I guess I’ve got to go then...”

He didn’t sound like he really wanted to, but all things considered, the horcrux hunt was their main priority.

 

“The faster you get them all, the faster we can get this whole war over with. Remember your necklace,” Severus said while hunting for their clothes, which were spread all over the floor. Harry turned around, mouth open to speak, but quickly snapped it shut, staring at a spot on Severus’ chest. The Potions Master looked down and instantly saw what had caught the brat’s attention.

 

Just below his heart, a mark had appeared. Black lines swirled and dipped and curled, forming two entwined snakes, in a circle.

 

It was intricate and simple at the same time, and Severus couldn’t help the sharp inhale he did upon seeing the proof that their bonding had been successful. He looked up to see Harry still staring at the symbol, his eyes intense. The Potions Master marched over to the boy and lifted up the shirt he’d managed to put on, revealing his chest. A similar mark rested right on the boy’s sternum.

 

“It worked,” Harry said, clearly feeling emotional on top of the whole ordeal.

 

“Yes it would seem so,” Severus answered, giving the boy a genuine smile. He felt hopeful and their promise to each other would surely be the thing holding him up when everything else around him would try to pull him down in the time to come.

Harry launched forward, wrapping Severus up in a hug, and he let it happen, even hugged the brat back and bent down to get a kiss. They clung to each other for long minutes, their tongues tangling and lips sliding together.

 

Severus thought this had to be the thing he’d been waiting for his whole life; someone to love, someone to love him, someone worth fighting for.

  
It felt good.


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, peeps, here is the last chapter of this story. It's been a long journey and I apologize for the irregular posting the last couple of months. Thank you all for reading and commenting! :)
> 
> **Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Harry Potter, surprise surprise ;)
> 
> To my pre reader SimplyMatt and my beta Corey Smith, I send a million hugs and my endless gratitude! You guys have been amazing!

**Epilogue**

  
  


The Dark Lord’s dying scream was still ringing in Severus’ ears as he dragged his aching, bleeding body across the Hogwarts grounds, blackened and burnt from all the explosions and various stray curses. It hadn’t been the scream of a man afraid of dying, dreading the unknown, it had been pure rage, disbelief that he’s been defeated by a mere boy with - in his own distorted opinion - insignificant magical talent.

  
  


When their Master had fallen, the remaining Death Eaters had panicked and scattered, trying to save their own skin, but most had been caught in the ensuing chaos. As soon as it seemed like the fighting had died down, the wounded being escorted off the battlefield, Severus had shed his Death Eater mask and begun his search for Harry, who he had lost sight of during the turmoil after The Dark Lord had keeled over, smashing to the ground with a finality which had made a huge weight lift from Severus’ shoulders.

  
  


His body made sharp twinges of protest every time he moved, but the low buzzing in the back of his head was telling him, Harry had to be alive, but injured, somewhere, so he forced himself to keep going. He could feel a drop of blood running from his hairline down towards his eyes, but he didn’t even pause to wipe it away. The rest of him looked equally as messed up anyway; his robe torn in places, burn marks and deep gashes littering his body.

  
  


A sharp yell had the Potions Master looking up and he immediately located the source. A skinny boy was looking at him with huge, outraged eyes. Severus recognized him from his classroom, a Ravenclaw fourth year. Before he could even think of a reason why the kid would look at him with such an expression, the little dimwit had produced his wand and jerked it in the Potions Master’s direction, yelling some garbled spell. He felt a white hot flash across his face and stumbled back in shock, his skin throbbing with pain. To his own surprise, though, he had no urge to instantly seek revenge. He’d been at war with something for his whole life and he just... didn’t want to be, anymore. So he stood passively and merely glared at the little moron, who looked like he wasn’t sure what to do now, like he’d been expecting to die or get knocked out for his assault, so he wouldn’t have to deal with deciding the next step on this course of action.

  
  


“Good one, Michael,” another boy shouted as he ran over. This one was from one of the older years, possibly a sixth year, also Ravenclaw. The older kid wasted no time in throwing a curse at Severus, and this one was a lot more potent than what the first one, Michael apparently, had managed. He was knocked over with the force and he felt it necessary to erect a shield around himself, doing so with a wordless flick of his wand.

  
  


Just as he was getting to his feet, the two boys simultaneously shot curses at Severus, but he’d had enough, he put his remaining strength into the _Protego_ and their spells just bounced off.

  
  


“How dare you?” the older boy shouted, face distorted into a mask of grief and anger. “You betrayed us all, you were one of them all along! You’ll pay for this! Filthy Slytherin bastard!”

  
  


Severus watched with resignation as the boy raised his wand arm again, face set with fierce intent, but suddenly the wand jerked out of the boy’s hand, flying away. He made a strangled sound, grabbing at it, to no use. The younger kid went toppling over onto his back and in very short order, a redhead jumped at him, grabbing his arms to restrain him. It took a few seconds for the Potions Master to recognize him.

  
  


“Mr. Weasley?” he gasped in shock. All the response he got, was a scowl and an eye roll. 

  
  


Out of the corner of his vision, he saw the older boy make a move towards Weasley, and he was about to shout a warning or, if necessary, throw a freezing charm, when a steely voice commanded, “Don’t you dare, Terry!”

  
  


Severus would recognize that know-it-all intonation anywhere, and he jerked his head around, nearly fainting in relief at the sight that met him. The Granger girl, bushy haired as ever, was dragging along a bleeding and battered looking, but conscious, Harry. His gaze immediately sought out those emerald green eyes and he felt a happy flutter when the brat’s lips drew up in a small, tired smile.

  
  


The Terry boy piped up, indignant, “But, Hermione, he’s Death Eater, we have to-”

  
  


“No!” she cut him off, hair positively crackling with energy, “He’s been on our side for almost as long as you’ve been alive! He’s been spying for our side at great risk to his own life and you ought to know better than assuming things like this and acting without taking the time to discover the truth! Did you not notice that nobody else was assaulting Professor Snape? Not the teachers, not the Order of the Phoenix, not the Headmaster? I’m pretty sure Dumbledore would have been beyond livid, had a member of his staff been fighting alongside Voldemort!” She paused as Weasley shuddered at the name and gave him a withering glare. “Oh, give it a rest, Ron, he’s dead!”

  
  


The red haired boy merely pouted at her until her expression softened a bit, her fondness shining through.

  
  


Severus only had eyes for Harry, though, and he started limping towards the brat, wincing as the movement pulled on his wounds. He was tired, so very tired, and he’d love to just go hide under his covers for months and try to forget the things he’d seen the last couple of days.

  
  


The brat broke free from Granger’s grip and lurched towards Severus, his gait wobbly, but determined. The Potions Master had about three seconds to contemplate how to handle this, before Harry reached him and promptly threw his arms around Severus’ neck, hauling his face down into a bruising, violent kiss. It’s like he’s pouring all the frustration of being apart for the last many months into this one single clash of lips, pushing his tongue into Severus’ mouth and whining in the back of his throat.

  
  


The Potions Master faintly heard a muttered **“** _What the bloody fuck?”_ , but he couldn’t really bring himself to care, as he kissed back with fervor, his whole body singing in joy at finally being reunited with his lover. He hugged the boy close and leaned down to shove his head into the crook of brat’s neck, breathing in deeply, committing the smell to memory. God, he’d missed this!

  
  


They broke apart, when a flustered **“** _Oh my!”_ reached their ears and Severus’ head snapped up to meet the startled face of Minerva McGonagall. Behind her, the Terry boy had a gobsmacked expression which didn’t seem like it was going to vanish soon and the Potions Master had to hold back a smirk. Little twerp probably thought Severus was an old, dusty bat who never got any action at all.

  
  


It took a few moments for him to realize, neither Granger nor Weasley seemed shocked at all, they were merely looking amused, and in Weasley’s case possibly a bit nauseated. He turned to Harry and gave him a raised eyebrow, eyes narrowing.

  
  


“Um, so, I forgot to hide my bonding mark a few weeks ago when I got woken up for the last horcrux hunt, and Ron saw it, so I had to explain,” the brat stuttered, face flushing.

  
  


“So... they know?” Severus asked, failing to hide the disbelief from his voice.

  
  


“Yeah,” Harry answered, looking rather sheepish.

  
  


“And why, oh husband of mine, did they not kill me when they had the chance, then?” Severus inquired, glaring dangerously at his lover’s friends. Weasley winced and coughed at his chosen wording, but otherwise didn’t react, and Granger merely smiled in that secretive way women seem to be so fond of.

  
  


The brat snorted.

  
  


“They’re okay with it, with us. I explained it to them and they promised to give you the benefit of the doubt. So you better start behaving right about now,” Harry quipped, giving the Potions Master a blinding smile. Try as he might, Severus didn’t manage not to smile back. He pretended not to notice when Weasley gagged and Granger preened at it.

  
  


Minerva stepped up beside them and got a good grip on the Potions Master’s arm, hauling him,  and consequently Harry, along.

  
  


“Goodness me, Severus! Albus _did_ say, but I’m afraid I didn’t quite believe him. Now, we are going to Madam Pomfrey to get you two fixed up and later, I expect to get the _full_ story!”

  
  


The brat snickered beside him and Severus attempted to kick him while still following McGonagall in a one legged skip. He didn’t succeed.

  
  


________________________________________________

  
  


As expected, the Ministry of Magic, held a big celebration, awarding _certain_ people with Orders of Merlin for their efforts in the battle against Lord Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as Dumbledore kept insisting on calling him. Severus didn’t get one, but he was happy enough, just avoiding punishment for the deeds he had done to maintain his cover. 

  
  


Parties had never been his thing, though, and he inevitably ended up in a corner, nursing a tumbler of whiskey. He’d been blissfully ignored for most of the evening, when a soft throat clearing roused him from his daydreams of being in his own chambers, relaxing with a book in front of the fireplace. 

  
  


“Severus, my boy,” and of course it was the old coot, coming over to force him to socialize no doubt. The Potions Master nodded in acknowledgement and mumbled, “Albus, you’re looking well this evening.” That statement was less than truthful, seeing as the Headmaster was wearing a lemon yellow, sparkly robe with matching hat. The old wizard merely beamed at Severus, as if he’d just received compliments for his attire from the whole of Wizarding Britain.

  
  


“I just wanted to drop by and tell you that, seeing as Harry is above the age of consent and you two are legally bonded, I’d have no trouble making a few adjustments in our rulebook. Perhaps you’d enjoy having Harry live with you, if he so pleases? Hmm? Something to think about.”

  
  


With that salute, Dumbledore winked at his Potions Master and walked briskly towards Professor Sprout, who was in the process of explaining something very loudly, and with wild gestures, to a timid looking ministry official. Severus had two seconds to wonder at his luck, escaping the Headmaster so soon, when a hand wrapped around his elbow. It took everything he had, not to just whip around with a nasty spell at the ready, but he thought the hand felt familiar and indeed, when he turned around, Harry was there, a crooked smile on his face.

  
  


“Hi, Severus,” the brat greeted, stepping closer to lean into the Potions Master and stretching up to plant a soft kiss on his jaw. Severus put an arm around Harry, giving him a squeeze before letting go again. He’d never felt comfortable with too much public display of affection and the boy knows this. Luckily he got the hint and backed up a few paces, still smiling at the Potions Master.

  
  


“Wanna get out of here?” Harry asked, a wicked gleam in his eyes. It’s been a long time since Severus had seen that particular expression. He’s so consumed with enjoying the fact that the brat hadn’t been totally ruined by all the constant hurt and grief caused by the war that he failed to respond for a couple of long moments. He snapped out of it however, when Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

  
  


Instead of answering, Severus grabbed the boy and ducked out a hidden passage in the wall behind a tapestry. They made it all the way to the hallway leading from the entry hall to the dungeons, before they lost the first bit of restraint, stumbling along the uneven floor, kissing and with hands running everywhere.

  
  


When they reached the door to Severus’ chambers, they were both mostly naked and it took a considerable amount of focus to remember to summon the clothes they had ripped off each other on the way. Wouldn’t do to have students stumbling upon such damning evidence on their nightly wanderings. The Potions Master certainly wasn’t going to be patrolling anywhere to catch the cretins!

  
  


Once they were inside, with the door closed and locked, Harry launched himself on Severus, clinging like a very horny octopus. It had been too long, the days since the battle of Hogwarts had been busy with trials and repairs and so many official meetings and interrogations, he didn’t even want to count anymore. What he wanted was to be buried balls deep in his lover, so he grabbed Harry’s arse, shredding the clingy pair of boxer briefs and throwing the tatters over his shoulder. A quick lubrication charm was all he did before lining up and shoving his way inside, a whine tearing out of his throat as he trembled with the tension. As soon as the brat cried out, throwing his head back, uncaring of the impact with the wall; as soon as his cock was buried in the tight heat, Severus felt an enormous sense of relief. They had somehow both survived this, and they were still together. Not even the boy’s friends had put up a fight. Perhaps they had seen enough of conflict and grief to know, that when you have something special, you take care of it and hold on to it.

  
  


Moving in a frenzy of kisses and bites and **‘** _Oh Fuck!’_ s, cries and gasps and moans, they raced towards the edge, still having that perfect awareness of the other’s needs and desires, despite the months long separation.

  
  


“ _Fuck_ , Severus! _Harder_ , come on, _fuck me,_ God dammit!” Harry begged, fingers digging into his lover’s back, hard. The Potions Master merely growled in answer, picking up his thrusts, punching into the boy’s arse as hard, fast and deep as he possibly could.

  
  


It all exploded in ecstatic pleasure, his world shattering into a million brilliant pieces, all sparkling like bloody fireworks. Severus’ body was shaking, his legs giving up on him, as Harry cried out, **“** _Ah!”_ and came explosively between them.

  
  


They lay in a heap on the floor, breathing heavily, for a long time. Eventually, the Potions Master got up, hauling Harry along with a grip on his arm and dragged them both to bed. Once they were under the covers, snuggling up to get warm, Severus kissed the sensitive spot behind the brat’s ear, whispering, “Do you want to move in with me?”

  
  


Harry wrenched his head around, his neck popping ominously, and stared wide eyed at his lover.

  
  


“What? Seriously?” he croaked, eyes shining in the darkness.

  
  


“Yes, seriously! The Headmaster gave us permission, but you don’t have to feel obligated-”

  
  


He was cut off by Harry throwing himself onto his body, giving Severus the usual knee in the kidneys, and screaming, “Yes, yes, yes! Of course I want to!”

  
  


The Potions Master huffed in annoyance, shoving the brat off and manhandling him onto his side, so he could pull the boy back against his chest. He breathed that familiar scent of Harry in, giving a happy sigh and murmuring, “All right, then. We’ll go get your stuff tomorrow. Now, sleep, it’s been a bloody awful week!”

  
  


Harry’s body shook as he chuckled and he whispered, “Indeed it has, and tomorrow I’m introducing you to Ron and Hermione, as my significant other, so you better spare the energy! Sweet dreams, Severus!”

  
  


He bit the boy’s ear in revenge, grumbling until the brat squeezed his arms and settled down into the pillows.

  
  


“Love you, you old grump!”

  
  


The Potions Master snorted.

  
  


“Love you too, you insolent brat!”

 

**~ The End ~**


End file.
